Pros of Being Disney Guardians
by AnimationNut
Summary: Sequel to Cons of Disney. Serena and Tracy have enjoyed life in the Disney Kingdom. But after a prophecy made by Hen-Wen, they find themselves tasked with protecting the innocent world from two villains who are determined to seize it before the other does.
1. Calm Before the Storm

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**I'm sure you all remember, but in case you don't, Shawn belongs to MysteryGirl.**

**Calm Before the Storm**

The sun shone brightly across the grassy land outside the towering castle. Rainbow rays flickered across the tiled floors as a pair of bare feet rushed across the cool material. The figure paused only once to peer out the large bay window before continuing on. Finally reaching her destination, she raised her fist and pounded on the wooden door in front of her.

"Tracy! It's ten o'clock in the morning! Wake up!" Serena Lockhart hollered, her freshly-showered raven hair framing her face.

A moaning noise came from inside the room. Serena scowled and crossed her arms impatiently. Tracy Adams never woke up before noon if she could help it, but it was a gorgeous day and Serena didn't intend to waste it. "_Tracy!_"

"Shut up!" a tired voice snapped. Serena tried the door handle and sighed. It was locked. Spinning on her heel she shuffled down the wide marble steps. It seemed she would have to wait for Tracy to get her lazy butt out of bed.

"Good morning," Donald Duck greeted as Serena entered the dining chamber. She settled into one of the golden chairs across from the duck and managed a smile.

"Morning, Donald." She traced her finger across the glass table as she waited for breakfast. Donald noted her long face and arched an eyebrow.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked.

Serena shrugged. "I want to enjoy the day, but Tracy is being a spoilsport and is choosing laziness over beauty."

Indeed, the Kingdom was absolutely breathtaking on this particular morning. Although to be fair, Serena found the Disney Kingdom to be gorgeous every single day.

Donald grinned slowly. "The heathen is still sleeping, huh?"

"Yup."

The duck jumped from his chair and left the chamber with a devious snicker. Serena rolled her eyes and smiled. Having Donald argue with Tracy about getting up at a decent time was a daily occurrence in the castle. After a while he realized that the only way to get Tracy up was to play dirty.

Sure enough, a shrill scream echoed throughout the castle moments later. Serena burst out laughing just as the King and Queen entered.

King Mickey smiled slightly. "Did Tracy refuse to get up again?"

Serena nodded. Minnie shook her head. "Those two are going to go too far one day."

An extremely satisfied Donald walked in and took his spot. Tracy followed, her blonde hair dripping wet. Serena snickered. "Did he pour cold water over you again?"

Tracy nodded in annoyance and took her usual chair beside Serena. Breakfast was served and the two girls ate quickly. Tracy shoved the last piece of bacon into her mouth and the two hastily excused themselves before hurrying outside.

"Behave!" Mickey hollered after them, although he wondered whether or not his warning would do any good.

It had been about six months since Serena and Tracy first came to the Disney Kingdom. After causing chaos for the first couple of weeks, they realized that they needed to fix their mistakes and save an innocent world from being taken over. They succeeded, and Serena barely made it out with her life.

The inhabitants of the Kingdom were wary of them at first, but over time gradually came to forgive them for their wrongdoings. The two were completely reformed. Well...Serena was completely reformed. Tracy had the occasional relapse and Serena had to remind herself to keep her eye on the blonde.

"So you wanted me to get up early just to see this?" Tracy asked as they strolled through the courtyard. Her blue eyes roamed over the lush grass, colourful and sweet-smelling flowers and crystal fountains. "We see this basically every day!"

Serena shrugged. "I know, but I can't get enough of it! Sometimes I can't even believe we're here, you know?"

"It's amazing, that's for sure. But seriously, you need to stop waking me up just to see this." Tracy adored her best friend, but a girl needed her beauty sleep. "What do you want to do?"

"Well, you kind of promised Lilo that she could teach you how to surf, remember?" Serena reminded her.

"I did not!"

"Yes you did. Last week. She kept calling and begging and you finally agreed."

Tracy groaned. "I don't even remember doing that!"

"You have the worst memory ever," Serena muttered.

Aware that she would have to keep her promise to the little Hawaiian girl, Tracy reluctantly headed back into the castle to gather her swimwear. She told Mickey where she would be for the day before rejoining Serena. "And how come you're not getting your stuff?" she demanded.

"_I _didn't promise her anything. And besides, I'm not the best swimmer."

To be perfectly honest, she hadn't been near water if she could help it since Facilier tried to drown her all those months ago.

Tracy muttered in irritation and stormed towards the carriages. The trip to Kauai Island didn't take long and she wanted to get the surfing lesson over with. Serena giggled before hurrying after her friend.

...

There was only one person that Serena truly feared. The person was responsible for her many near-deaths and hoodwinked them at the last moment during the battle between Disney heroes and Disney villains. That person was Shawn, the boy who had gone crazy with power, driven mad by the constant belittling of the villains he was forced to obey. He was cruel and wicked and full of evil intent.

The boy had been banished to the Dark Lands. The Dark Lands rested on the very edge of the Disney Kingdom, surrounded by a barrier of pure magic that no villain could stand. If you were thrown into the Dark Lands, you could not get back out. You were forced to wander among the shadows for eternity-there was no worse punishment than living in isolation forever.

Very few villains had been banished to the Dark Lands since the Disney Kingdom came into existence. The few that were there...well, if Serena thought Shawn was bad, then she would tremble in her boots at the mere sight of these evildoers.

There were two particularly nasty villains in those Lands. One of them commanded an army of demons and the other had an extraordinary mind and malicious intents. Both wanted control. Both wanted revenge.

And Tracy and Serena were about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest war in Disney history.


	2. Death Omen

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. MysteryGirl owns the villain who commands the demons and Knight of Renaissance Light owns the sidekick who has control over the shadows.**

**Death Omen**

Serena lounged in the soft sand of Kauai's beach and peered lazily at the rolling waves of the ocean. The dim shape of Tracy could be seen wobbling on a surfboard off in the distance, with Lilo poised on her own surfboard expertly. A slow grin crawled across her face as a wave lifted both girls up and knocked Tracy into the swirling water below. Seconds later the blonde head popped up, and her frustrated scream could be heard from the shore.

Stitch rested beside her, idly tracing shapes into the sand. Neither of them liked the idea of getting near the water and chose to observe Lilo attempt to teach Tracy the basics of surfing. Suffice to say, it was very amusing to watch.

It was a while before the blonde dragged herself back to the shore, her hair plastered to her face and hands gripping the board. Lilo followed behind her with a pleased expression. Tracy had managed to ride one wave in the two hours Lilo was coaching her, and the little girl found that to be an accomplishment.

"Fantastic job." Serena applauded and ducked when Tracy kicked sand at her.

"Never again," she muttered, dropping down heavily. "I can't feel my arms."

"But you did great!" Lilo exclaimed. "You were almost getting the hang of it!"

Serena felt her lips twitch. "Yeah, you were so close to perfecting the Wipe Out Technique."

Lilo rolled her brown eyes. "I'm trying to be supportive!"

"At least one of you is," Tracy grumbled.

"Hey, good friends complement each other. Best friends insult each other," Serena retorted.

It was high afternoon by the time the group started walking for Lilo's house. Serena looked at the surrounding forests and shuddered as she recalled the punishment they had had to do in Kauai. Serena and Tracy had to help Lilo take care of all of her 'cousins', and all of those pesky alien experiments were just as eccentric as the Hawaiian girl.

Serena happened to look at the sky as they walked and what she saw made her freeze on the dirt pathway.

The sky was green. And it wasn't just green, it seemed to be a swirling vortex of black and green. As she stood gaping, the others seemed to notice the sudden darkness descending over the island as well and followed her gaze.

"That can't be good," Tracy muttered.

...

Miles away, King Mickey was thinking the very same thing. The beautiful day now had an overcast of doom. The mouse bit his lip nervously and tapped his white-gloved fingers against the balcony railing. The skies, like nearly everything in the Disney Kingdom, were influenced by the balance of magic. The sudden change in atmosphere said that someone was trying to break that balance.

"Well, what do we do?"

Mickey glanced at Donald as he joined him. "Gee, is it really something to fret over?"

Donald stared at him. "I would say _that _is something to be concerned about." He gestured above at the green expanse that was growing darker by the minute.

"I'm sure one of the outcasts is trying to break through the barrier again," Mickey suggested, although knowing his theory was severely flawed. Donald, of course, was quick to point these flaws out.

"Mickey, whenever someone has attempted to break the barrier, you were the only one affected. The sky has never turned _green_ before." Donald put his hands on his hips and frowned. "Goofy is nearly drowning in letters from the other lands. What are we going to say?"

"That we're handling it," Mickey said.

"That's very vague."

"Well, do you have something better?"

Donald thought for a moment. "We're all screwed! Panic now, panic now!"

Mickey was not amused. "You've been hanging around the girls too often. Go relay the message-_my message_-and..."

"You have no idea what to do, do you?" Donald asked, crossing his arms.

In truth, Mickey didn't. This occurrence was new to him and he wasn't sure what it meant. And if he wasn't sure, then Yen Sid wouldn't know. Merlin could travel to and fro in time, but for the most part he was bound by the laws of time and could not share much of what he experienced. That meant he would have to pay a visit to Dallben and see what Hen-Wen made of all this.

Mickey shooed the duck away and continued to stare at the strange phenomenon before them. Thinking about it, he realized there were only two people capable of such a thing.

Disney help them all if the two succeeded in whatever plans they had.

...

Serena and Tracy herded Lilo and Stitch home, both aware that the swirling green sky was not a good omen. Lilo protested strongly about being locked up instead of checking it out, but once Nani got a hold of her Lilo knew it would be pointless to argue.

The two girls returned to the beach, pacing along the shore and staring up at the green sky. "What do you think is happening?" Tracy asked.

Before Serena could answer a hideous, inhumane growl caught their attention. Slowly turning around, the two gaped in horror at a pair of red-skinned, scaly, horned demons with glowing yellow eyes and sharp white fangs crawling from the ground and towards them. They hissed upon crawling into the light, but did not shrivel up or turn into dust like they did in the movies.

"Where did t-they c-come from?" Tracy stuttered, shuddering as the demons started to come closer.

"We'll figure that out later!" Serena snapped. "We need to get out of here!"

They didn't get a chance to make their escape. Two shapeless, black forms emerged from the shadows of the palm trees and before Serena could scream, they had locked onto her own shadow and were dragging her swiftly to the ocean.

_Déjà vu! _Serena thought before digging her nails frantically into the sand. Tracy raced to help her but the two demons grabbed hold of her and dragged her back, black nails digging into her flesh and fangs glinting in the sunlight.

"_Serena!_" Tracy shrieked, absolutely helpless as she struggled violently against the monsters holding her. She was about to meet her own demise by a pair of possible flesh-eating demons and her best friend was being dragged to a watery grave by a couple of shadows.

_What the heck is going on?_


	3. History of the Dark Lands

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**History of the Dark Lands**

Lilo pressed her face against the glass, staring at the swirling green sky with wide eyes. Nani had locked her in her room with the threat of a serious grounding should she escape. She was considering it, as Tracy and Serena had not come into the house with her. They were probably still out there, investigating this strange occurrence.

"Okay, Stitch," Lilo announced. "You can break us out through the window and we can see what the heck is going on and risk being grounded for life, or we can stay here and simply observe."

Stitch stared at her oddly. Lilo waved a hand dismissively. "You're right, no question. Come on, let's go see if we can kick butt!"

The blue mutation allowed Lilo to climb on his back before crawling up to the window. He used his sharp nails to carve a hole in the glass and carefully climbed out. He sprinted down the worn-out dirt trail and towards the beach, where the scents of Tracy and Serena were strong. The green sky cast an eerie glow across the island.

"There they are!" Lilo exclaimed, spotting two familiar figures on the beach. "They-uh-oh."

Stitch screeched to a halt, his claws digging into the sand. Two shadows were dragging Serena towards the depths of the ocean and Tracy was struggling against two demons who looked like they would eat her alive.

"We have to help them!" Lilo whispered urgently.

Stitch nodded and motioned for Lilo to take cover behind the jagged rocks. She obeyed and watched as her best friend rolled into a ball and barrelled into the demons holding onto Tracy. The scaly creatures hissed and got back to their feet. The blonde stumbled towards Serena, who was halfway into the water. She lunged for her friend and grabbed hold of Serena's hands.

"Don't let go!" the raven-haired girl cried frantically.

"I'll try!" Tracy spluttered as water went up her nose. "Man...We need reinforcements! _Stitch! We need more alien help!_"

Stitch slashed at the demon that got too close and whistled loudly. Lilo heard the sound and knew that her friend was asking for assistance. Squinting out into the water, she could make out two shadow-like things keeping a death grip on Serena.

_Shadows and light don't mix in the movies, so maybe Sparky could help!_

Lilo charged across the sandy beach as fast as she could and burst through the lighthouse door. She made it up the stairs faster than usual and collapsed by Sparky's feet, panting heavily. Sparky made a noise of concern and helped her up.

"Light," she wheezed. "Please...over there..." She pointed at the spot where Serena was being man-handled by the shadows. Sparky nodded and attached the cords to his antennas and powered up, volts of electricity travelling down his small body and into the large light bulb. The beach was soon illuminated with light.

"Go Lilo!" Tracy cheered as the light washed over them. The shadows hissed before retreating. Serena scrambled out of the water and raced for the shore with Tracy right beside her. The demons turned into dust when the light was trained on them.

Serena took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. "Okay...I don't know why or how, but I guess that since the sky is blocking out most of the light, those stupid beings could walk on the surface without being incinerated. But _where _did they come from?"

Lilo jogged up to them with a grin. "It worked!"

"Thanks, kid." Tracy glanced around nervously. "Let's get out of here before any more decide to come back."

And so the group ran back to Lilo's house, the sky getting darker by the minute.

...

"Blast!" a raspy voice hissed. Blood-red pupils glowed in the darkness as an imposing figure stormed out of a wet cave that had been his home for his entire existence. His spindly fingers curled into a fist as he glowered out over the barren plains. He had been so close...so close to fully breaking the barrier.

But what bothered him was that if _he _was close, then there was no doubt that his competition was as well.

No matter. He could feel the barrier weakening. The magic was not as strong as it used to be. The amount of evil energy was pressing against it was too much for it to bear. Soon it would shatter enough for him to send his demons into the Kingdom.

Malovent pressed his fingers together as he thought. The balance between the purity in the Kingdom and the evil in the Dark Lands was becoming unstable. As long as the sky in the Kingdom continued to be a mass of black and green, then his demons would survive just fine.

And eventually, so would he.

"Sara!" he barked.

An eight-year-old girl emerged from the cave, her blood-red hair damp from the moisture. Her red eyes glinted with irritation as she came to join her master. She tugged her leather jacket tighter around her small body as she came closer. "Yes, Master?"

"I want your plans to be ready by tonight," he hissed. "The barrier is close to breaking. When it does, you will go into the Kingdom and build the machine right away."

Sara nodded in obedience. She was proud of her skills in machinery, but she hated being told what to do. But she wouldn't argue. She needed someone powerful on her side to protect her in the Dark Lands. She was only eight and that made her a prime target for others prowling the plains.

"I will not join you right away. The purity in that land will still be strong, but you will be able to withstand it more than I can," Malovent informed his minion. "You will need some help."

Sara could not help but groan. "Not Shortie."

"I _told _you not to call me that!"

A sixteen-year-old girl with wavy red hair and hazel eyes walked gingerly out of the cave, staring across the plain with cautiousness. She was called Shortie for her smaller-than-average height, a fact she was sensitive too. A green fedora with a feather sticking out the side was perched on her head.

Sara rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Listen, when Master gives the order, we move out into the Kingdom. Then you do what I tell you to."

Leah blinked. "I'm eight years older than you."

"Oh, I didn't know you could count."

She ignored this. "So, shouldn't I be in charge? I could totally do that! I mean, I just have to tell Sara what to do, right? Can I be in charge? _Please?_"

Malovent growled menacingly, causing both his minions to shut up. "Since I can hardly trust you to take control, Sara will. You, Foolish One, will follow her orders since I will not be there to give them. Failure will result in your demise."

Leah frowned slightly at the nickname before shrugging. "Okie-dokie!"

Malovent turned and stared at the horizon. "Soon," he whispered.

...

On the other side of the Dark Lands, another villain was having similar thoughts. Black cloak swishing around his body, Lord Odotherex closed his red eyes as he felt the evil overpower the magic barrier. It was a wonderful sensation. "Ecthros."

His minion came to stand by his side. "Yes, Lord?"

"Why have you failed?"

The dark brown-haired minion fought back a tremble. His voice may have sounded calm, but that was the dangerous part. "It was a foolish mistake, my Lord. I allowed my shadows to stray too close to a source of light. Such carelessness will not happen again."

"See that it doesn't," Lord Odotherex whispered softly. "We cannot afford to waste any time. I need to take over the Kingdom before _that _idiot does...when I conquer the Kingdom, I will be unstoppable and _no one _will escape my wrath. Ecthros, the barrier is close to breaking. But I have seen a vision...there will be three warriors of Light who will attempt to destroy the evil that leaks onto their pure land. You will need to eliminate the one that stays to defend the Kingdom as soon as the barrier breaks."

"Yes, Lord."

"Their doom is approaching, Ecthros...and then I will be closer to my ultimate victory."

...

Tracy and Serena managed to make it back to the castle in one piece. King Mickey was waiting for them, his eyes trained on the sky.

"So..." Tracy motioned upwards. "I would like an explanation, considering I've nearly been killed."

"Ditto," Serena agreed.

Mickey nodded and the two girls sat down on the stone steps. "There is, as you know, a delicate balance between good and evil. There is also a delicate balance between the magic of the barrier surrounding our Kingdom and the evil that lies in the Dark Lands. The balance is unstable now, and our Kingdom is being affected."

"Can't you do something about it?" Serena asked.

"I can only control who I send in and who I send out. You see, the Kingdom was founded by a great man. As time passed, many good heroes and people started to populate our Kingdom, and for as long as I can remember I was the ruler. The villains were allowed to stay, as they were forever bound to the law of good triumphing over evil. However, there have been many villains and creatures that have been rejected, never setting foot in the Kingdom and only knowing the Dark Lands. There are others who have gone mad with power and were banished. Dangerous creatures were sent away."

"So basically, the Dark Lands are one big reject trash can." Tracy shook her head. "A trash can of evil."

Serena's green eyes widened as she caught on. "And because there are so many villains being rejected, the evil is starting to outweigh the pure magic."

Mickey sighed. "That is correct. The evil in the Dark Lands is not bound by the good always triumphs over evil law, and so it is very possible that they will successfully take over should the barrier break." He gestured towards the sky. "With the light blocked, it makes the takeover all the easier."

"What are you going to do?" Serena asked worriedly.

"I am going to visit Dallben and see what Hen-Wen has to say about this."

"Can we come?" Tracy asked hopefully.

Mickey hesitated before nodding. "I suppose so, as long as you behave."

"Of course!" Tracy grinned.

The two girls jumped up and rushed towards a waiting carriage. Mickey sighed heavily. Whatever Hen-Wen's prophecy would be, he had a strong feeling that Tracy and Serena would play a crucial part in it.


	4. The Prophecy

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent and Shawn  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**The Prophecy**

Serena stared at the dark sky, her heart pounding in her chest. The white and gold carriage they were riding in travelled down a beaten dirt pathway, the white steeds pulling them along. The raven-haired girl turned to face her blonde friend, who was snoozing beside her. She elbowed Tracy in the side, startling her awake.

"What?" Tracy mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "What was that for?"

"Don't you have this foreboding feeling?" Serena asked.

"Well, I would answer you if I knew what foreboding meant."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Foreboding: a strong inner feeling or notion of a future misfortune," she defined impatiently.

"Oh, then duh. Of course I do!" Tracy gestured towards the swirling black expanse above. "Whenever something bad happens, it tends to be connected to us."

"That's what I was afraid of," she muttered back. They sat in silence as the carriage rolled along, King Mickey sitting up front. The king was conversing quietly with their driver. No doubt the latter had many questions about the current weather.

Serena suddenly bolted upright, green eyes wide and alert. She twisted around in her cushioned seat and peered out the glass window. She stared hard at the shadowy trees covering both sides of the pathway. She had a strong feeling that they were being watched.

Nervous, Serena turned back around and leaned forwards. "Mickey, when will we get to Dallben's?"

The king glanced back at her. "In a few minutes. Why?"

"Just won-"

The glass window suddenly smashed into dozens of sharp pieces, raining down on Tracy. The blonde shrieked in surprise and pain as the glass dug into her skin. A long, shadowy black tentacle wrapped around Serena's ankle and pulled her roughly through the jagged hole. Serena screamed in fear and latched onto Tracy's bleeding arm.

"_Halt!_" Mickey bellowed.

The horses stopped instantly and the carriage jolted. Mickey jumped to the ground, his red and gold robes swishing by his feet. Dimly he could make the shadow that was attempting to kidnap his charge. A ball of pure white magic appeared in his gloved hand and he unleashed it upon the shadows. It struck its target and there was a cry of pain.

Mickey cursed softly when the shadow did not relinquish its grip. His magic was not as powerful with so much evil leaking into his lands. He tried once more and this time the shadow retreated, hissing in pain.

Serena kept her grip on Tracy, green eyes wide. Tracy carefully helped her back inside the carriage and Mickey climbed back beside the driver. "Double the speed," he ordered curtly before turning back to his two charges. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Serena whispered. Tracy nodded, picking the blood-stained glass pieces out of her skin.

Mickey studied them both for a moment before turning back around. _The situation is worse than I thought._

Tracy was delighted when the quaint cottage of Dallben came into their sight. The carriage rolled across the grass and the king and his charges departed. "We will not be long," he promised. "And if any shadows attack, please do not hesitate to call for assistance."

The old man was standing in front of his home. His face was solemn and Serena didn't feel comforted. What was about to happen was sure to spell trouble for her and her best friend. "Greetings, my King. I am afraid Hen-Wen is throwing quite the fit. She took off in the meadow and Taran has gone to bring her back. I hope he makes it in time."

Mickey grew concerned. "I hope so as well. There are shadows that enjoy attacking unaware civilians as they pass by."

"Hmm... That only reinforces my opinion that what Hen-Wen sees is not going to bear well for us," Dallben muttered softly.

"I can go help," Tracy offered.

Serena froze. She wanted to be of assistance, but her two near-death experiences had left her frazzled. Sensing her friend's distress, Tracy added, "Serena can stay here. I don't think she should come with me considering...you know."

Dallben looked at Serena in sympathy. "I believe some tea is the proper cure for a case of the frights."

The raven-haired girl smiled gratefully and followed the old man into the cottage. Mickey hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Be careful. If something happens, scream. You have a set of lungs. Use them."

Tracy grinned and raced off for the meadow, keeping her eyes and ears alert. Eventually she found Taran and Hen-Wen, who was indeed throwing a fit. Taran kept his grip tight on the pig as he stumbled back towards Dallben's house. "Looks like you have everything taken care of here."

Taran glanced up in surprise before smiling briefly. "I've had some practice. Come on, we better hurry before Hen-Wen's vision passes."

The pig's face was one of pure terror. Feeling scared herself, Tracy followed Taran across the grassy meadow and the little light they had was disappearing rapidly. Blue eyes turned briefly to scan the forest on one side of them and Tracy gasped as three shadows lunged out for Taran. "_Look out!_"

The blonde wasn't quite sure what she was planning to accomplish, but she thrust her hands out and squeezed her eyes shut. There was a sudden tingling sensation in her palms and her blue eyes opened just in time to see a bright white light shooting from her palms and engulfing the three shadows. They screamed in agony and evaporated, leaving only a thin black mist behind.

Taran and Tracy stared at each other in shock for only a second before hurrying on.

They would figure out what had just happened later.

...

The door burst open and Taran stumbled in. Serena had just finished lighting the candle beside the basin filled with water and quickly moved out of the way. She picked up her cup of tea and drank deeply, trying to loosen the knot in her stomach.

"Remember," Dallben said sternly as he led Hen Wen to the basin. "What is revealed here cannot be repeated to _anyone._"

He stuck his oak staff into the basin and recited;

"_Hen-Wen, from you I do beseech...  
>Knowledge that lies beyond my reach...<br>Troubled thoughts weigh on your heart...  
>Pray you now those thoughts depart..."<em>

Hen Wen swayed a bit and her snout dipped into the water. Everyone watched intently as images began to appear in the water.

"Malovent," Mickey said grimly as a figure covered in a tattered black cloak appeared in the water. Sickly yellow eyes stared back at them and Serena clung to Tracy.

"Lord Odotherex," Dallben whispered softly. A man that looked like he was eighteen appeared next, blood-red eyes staring cruelly up at them and long silver hair framing a wicked face. Tracy swallowed hard and squeezed Serena's hand.

A scene of shadows and demons swarming out of the Dark Lands and into the Kingdom caused Mickey to curse again. The image switched and it showed the two villains fighting for complete control over a dark and damaged Kingdom.

Then there was a brilliant flash of white light. Hen-Wen stayed by the basin, but everyone else braced themselves against the light. Slowly their eyes adjusted and they stared at the image in the basin. "Oh, wow!" Tracy whispered.

In the water was an image of her and Serena. Both were wearing pure white and gold suites of armour, dazzling white light blazing from their hands. The image quickly changed to Serena being beaten back by an army of shadows. Just as it seemed as if she would die, there was another flash of light and another figure appeared. The figure was a dark shadow against the bright light, but it was obvious that whoever it was had come to help Serena.

Before they could discover who the person was, the image switched again to various pictures of unconscious (and possibly dead) villains. Tracy pressed a hand to her mouth.

Hen-Wen stumbled back from the basin, dizzy and unfocused. Just before the image faded away completely, Serena heard a voice.

"_Serena..."_

The raven-haired girl looked around the room, eyes wide with fear. It seemed no one else had heard the voice, and she wondered if she had gone insane.

"So..." Tracy said slowly. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

King Mickey sighed heavily. "Those two you saw were some of the rejected villains. Well, Malovent is. To be quite honest, I'm not too sure how Lord Odotherex got there."

"Then how do you know him?"

A stiff smile crossed his face. "Let's just say he makes one heck of a first impression."

Serena bit her lip. "They're going to take over the Kingdom. Tracy and I are supposed to be the ones to stop them, aren't we?"

"I'm afraid so," Dallben confirmed. "But I'm not sure how you two acquired such power."

"Oh!" Tracy exclaimed. "I forgot. This apparent 'power' just developed. I used it on a trio of shadows that attempted to attack Taran and me."

Mickey arched an eyebrow. "I thought I told you to use your lungs."

Tracy grinned sheepishly. "This worked even better! I'll show you...if I can." The blonde walked outside and everyone else gathered by the door. Tracy raised her palms and concentrated. It took a bit, but two white balls of light shot out and singed the grassy ground.

"Astounding," Dallben muttered.

Mickey nodded in agreement.

Serena frowned. "Why can't I do that?"

"Try it!" Tracy encouraged.

Serena hesitantly joined Tracy and raised her palms. She closed her eyes and pictured what Hen-Wen had; her in white armour and blasting white magic or light or whatever it was all over the place. There was a slight burst of pain and Serena opened her eyes in time to see a white spiral of light slam into the ground.

"I suppose the Disney Magic has considered you two suitable," Mickey said aloud. The two girls looked at him in confusion and he explained. "Disney Magic is what holds the Kingdom together, essentially. Sometimes it chooses worthy beings to display its incredible power. Since I am the King, I got the majority of it. Merlin and Yen Sid were selected and the magic simply absorbed into their systems. Young Arthur was chosen to be the one to wield the Excalibur. Even Dallben was chosen, but in a different way. He is the keeper of a special and powerful pig."

"So Disney Magic has considered us worthy to wield magic powers?" Tracy asked in awe. "Cool!"

"With great power comes great responsibility," Dallben cautioned. "You two have been tasked with saving the Disney Kingdom. I suggest you take it seriously."

"We will!" Tracy promised quickly.

Mickey rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "As much as I don't want to put so much pressure on you girls, I know I must. Serena, I want you to be the one that goes into the Dark Lands."

Serena's heart pounded. "W-why?"

"One of the images showed you in the Lands. You need to find Malovent and Odotherex before they break through the barrier and defeat them. When the time comes and you can come back, you will not be stuck there."

"But won't my magic be useless there?" Serena asked.

"The magic you have been given is tremendous. It will be effective even in the Dark Lands," Mickey assured her. "Tracy, you will stay here and help defend my Kingdom. We don't have too many beings that have the gift of Magic, but we must try."

Tracy saluted. "Aye aye, sir!"

"Come. We must get ready as soon as possible."

Dallben bowed down to them. "I wish you all the best of luck. If our assistance is required, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Dallben," Mickey said gratefully. He and his two charges walked back to the carriage. Serena's mind swirled with frightening scenarios, but one thought kept outshining the others.

The voice she had heard...the voice that called her name before the images disappeared...

The voice had been Shawn's.


	5. Into the Dark Lands

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**Into the Dark Lands**

The ride back to King Mickey's castle was a silent one. Serena was fretting over going into the Dark Lands and Tracy was nervous about being separated from her best friend once more. The blonde cast a hopeful glance up at the sky but it had not lightened up one iota.

They made it back home without being attacked. Serena and Tracy followed Mickey into his throne room, where Donald was already waiting for them. "Well?" he asked.

Mickey rubbed his forehead. "The balance of good and evil is unstable. The evil is leaking into the Kingdom and the barrier can't withstand so much corruption. It'll shatter. I don't know when, but it will."

Donald sighed. "That explains the reports I've been getting of shadows and demons attacking. Lord Odotherex and Malovent certainly aren't wasting any time."

"I wouldn't expect them to. Those two will be locked in a deadly war until one of them succeeds and wins control over my Kingdom. That's why Serena and Tracy need to stop them as soon as possible."

The duck stared at him in disbelief. "You're joking!"

The fear written across the girls' faces told him otherwise. Donald closed his eyes. "It's always you two, isn't it?"

"We didn't ask to be tasked with saving the Kingdom," Tracy muttered. "I never-"

"No."

Everyone stared at Serena in surprise. Her pale face was half-hidden by her long raven hair. "What?" Tracy asked.

"I said no," Serena whispered. "I'm not going into the Dark Lands."

"But you have too!" Donald exclaimed. "The pig is never wrong!"

Mickey shot him a glare and Serena stared at them with terrified green eyes. "I can't do it! I've had to fight for my life dozens of times before. I can't go through that again!"

"And I would give anything so you wouldn't have to," Mickey said softly. "But if you and Tracy do not fight we will all be destroyed. I know you are strong, clever and brave. I believe in you-in both of you."

Serena stared into his warm black eyes and swallowed hard. She knew that she played a crucial part in this war. She just wished she could stay behind in the Kingdom. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll do it."

The King swept her in a quick hug. "You'll do fine," he said softly into her ear before letting her go. "Donald, I need you to warn the other lands and tell them of what is occurring."

The duck nodded and ran off. Mickey motioned for his two charges to follow him and they walked to his office. "Only I have the power to put people into the Dark Lands," he said as he brought a wooden chest from his desk drawer. He slipped a golden key into the lock and the lid clicked open. "I also have the power to bring people out."

He dug into the box and removed a pendent on a silver chain. The pendent was a diamond heart. "This pendent will allow you to enter the Dark Lands."

Serena bowed her head and Mickey slipped the chain around her neck. As soon as the chain touched her flesh the heart glowed and two golden initials appeared: _S.L_

"Serena Lockhart," she whispered in awe.

"This pendent will only work for you. It has sensed your magical signature," Mickey explained.

"But how will she get back out of the Dark Lands?" Tracy asked in concern.

Mickey's lips twitched. "You will know when it is time to leave the Dark Lands. Trust me on that."

Serena nodded. "When do you want me to leave?"

"Well, I don't want you going in there alone. Perhaps you could find some people that will venture into the Lands with you."

Tracy frowned. "But I thought the pendent only worked for Serena?"

"It does. But all Serena has to do is hold onto the person she's bringing with her and the pendent will obey her."

"Fancy!" Tracy exclaimed, staring at Serena's new piece of jewellery in admiration.

"I don't really want to bring anyone with me to the Dark Lands," Serena began. Mickey quickly cut her off.

"You will. And I'll make sure of it," the King said pointedly. "I'm afraid we need Merlin and the other Magic bearers here in the Kingdom. I advise you to bring some skilled warriors with you to the Kingdom. Demons and shadows are one thing, but there are other terrible creatures in the Lands."

Serena groaned. "Great."

"Can I go with her?" Tracy asked hopefully.

Mickey hesitated for a moment before nodding. "You may. But you must come back just before Serena goes into the Dark Lands. We don't have much time to waste. Serena, I wish you luck."

The two girls went up to Serena's room. Tracy sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Serena packed extra clothes and various other supplies into her backpack. "A flashlight?" she asked as the raven-haired girl stuffed a couple of yellow and red flashlights into her bag.

Serena shrugged. "Why not? The shadows don't like light."

"Throw some matches in there as well," Tracy suggested. "Fire could probably do a lot of damage."

Serena heeded her advice and grabbed some matches from the kitchen on her way out. As the two girls crossed the lush courtyard, Donald appeared on the balcony. "_Hey!_"

"_What?_" Tracy hollered.

"_King Mickey wants you to stop by Greece before you leave for the Lands!" _Donald bellowed. "_Good luck and don't die!_"

Serena flashed a thumbs-up to show she heard him and the two went to meet their carriage by the front gates. Tracy rummaged through her friend's bag to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. "Clothes, packets of food, matches, flashlights, first aid supplies, a compass... What good will that do you? You suck at directions."

"Shut up!" Serena snapped in irritation. "I want to be prepared."

"No kidding," Tracy muttered. She shoved the bag to the side and settled back against the velvet seats. "So, who are you bringing with you?"

"Er..." Serena frowned in thought. "Definitely not any of the kids. Maybe Robin Hood, if he wants to. Perhaps Aladdin. But first we're going to see why Mickey wants us to stop by Greece."

...

Serena and Tracy clung to each other as they cautiously moved through Greece. The journey had lasted through the night and it was early morning. Well, you couldn't _tell _it was early morning, but thanks to Tracy's watch, they knew what time it was.

Demons and shadows were all over the place. Thankfully, even though the sky was black the gods and goddesses still had their powers. And the demons and shadows could not get to Mount Olympus. So, as their home was safe, many of the immortal beings were helping to defend the mortals of Greece.

Tracy jumped as a lightning bolt exploded off in the distance. "Who exactly are we supposed to be finding?"

"Hercules would be our best bet," Serena answered.

"How are we supposed to find him in _this_?" Tracy demanded, throwing her arms out and indicating the chaos around them.

Serena thought. "As much as I don't want to, I think we need to split up. When one of us finds Hercules, send a blast of magic into the air."

The two went in different directions. Serena yelped as a shadow grabbed her ankle and hastily destroyed it with her magic. "Okay, this is pretty cool."

A cry of terror caught her attention and she sprinted towards it. She rounded the corner and spotted a group of children pressed against a marble pillar, trying to escape the crowd of scaly demons advancing upon them.

Serena formed a ball of white magic. "Here we go!"

She reared back and let it fly. The projectile rolled across the ground and slammed into the group of demons. They screamed in agony before crumpling to the ground.

"Strike!" Serena cheered, pumping her fist in the air. Something tackled her to the ground and held her down. "Hey!"

She wrinkled her nose at the ugly demon holding her down. The beast snapped its teeth menacingly before going for her neck. Before Serena could use her new-found powers, someone else came to her rescue first.

"You can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Hercules asked, using his sword to slice the being in half. Serena wrinkled her nose as black blood splattered against the cracked road.

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm the chosen one," Serena muttered. She threw a blast of magic into the sky and hoped Tracy would notice it.

Hercules gaped at her. "Uh...when did you learn that?"

"Just recently. Apparently, the Magic has absorbed into my system," Serena explained. "Listen, I know its chaos out here, but King Mickey wanted us to stop by and I-"

"Hey, Herc!"

Pegasus swooped in with Tracy, Meg and Phil on his back. The blonde jumped off and grinned. "Long time no see."

"What did you miscreants do this time?" Phil asked, glancing around at the various demons and shadows that were trying to kill people.

"Oh sure, it's our fault," Tracy muttered. "For your information, the balance between the Dark Lands and the Kingdom is unstable."

Meg whistled. "That's not good."

"You're telling me," Serena sighed. "The King wanted us to stop by here, but I'm not sure why."

"Hey there, baby dolls!"

Everyone glanced up as Hermes fly down near them, carrying a bulky package. Tracy arched an eyebrow. "Uh, is that thing why King Mickey told us to drop by?"

"You got it." Hermes hovered beside them and thrust the package into the blonde's arms. "Open it! I don't know what it is and I want to know."

Curious, Tracy pulled back the brown wrappings. "Whoa..."

There were two sets of armour. Each was pure white with golden markings. It appeared to be a full-body armour with no helmet. Two swords accompanied the armour. "Did Hephaestus make this?" Serena asked in awe.

Hermes whistled. "He sure did. I think that's his best work right there. I never would have been able to tell that I was delivering armour."

Indeed, the suits were extremely lightweight. Meg frowned. "Why would Hephaestus make you armour?"

"We're the ones who have to save the Kingdom," Tracy explained. "That's basically all you need to know."

"We're doomed," Phil muttered.

Meg cuffed him across the head and stared at the two girls worriedly. "You're not going into the Dark Lands, are you?"

"I am," Serena said, standing up and slipping the armour over her clothes. It fit snugly and it was flexible. It didn't even feel like she was wearing armour.

"Alone?" Hercules cried.

"King Mickey said he wanted some people to go with me-"

"I'm going!" Hercules quickly said. "And you can't argue."

"Hercules-!" Meg protested.

"I need to go. We'll be fine," Hercules promised. "The gods and goddesses can take care of things here."

Meg nodded slowly. "Be careful, Wonderboy."

The two embraced and Serena felt horrible. But nothing she said would convince Hercules to stay behind with his wife. Tracy slipped on her armour as well and glanced around. "I'll probably be back soon. I'm just going to hang with Serena until she has to leave."

"Good luck, heathens," Phil said sincerely. "Try not to die on us."

Serena and Tracy saluted him and the two girls and the demigod went to the carriage. "So, who else are we getting?" Hercules asked as the carriage set off.

"Agrabah is pretty close to here. So I figured we would go there next," Serena said. "Maybe Aladdin would like to help."

...

Aladdin sped through the streets of Agrabah on Carpet, sword clutched in his hands and his best friend Genie by his side. The two were doing everything in their power to destroy the army of demons infiltrating their city but there were just too many of them. The inhabitants of Agrabah had either taken refuge in other lands that could better defend themselves or had taken shelter inside the palace, where the Sultan urged them all to safety.

"This is just great," Aladdin snapped as he decapitated a demon, black blood drenching his hands. "How does King Mickey expect us to defend our land when all we have are some royal guards, us and Jafar?"

"Hey, I'm still trying to process that the snake is siding with us for once."

Aladdin sighed. "I definitely don't trust the guy but at a time like this we need to join together. As much as I hate to admit it, Jafar is a powerful sorcerer. But what I don't understand is how his magic can destroy them. There's nothing pure about that guy!"

"Demons are only destroyed by literally slicing them apart, pure magic and light," Genie explained as he took out a couple of demons with a simple shot of magic. "Although Jafar's magic is corrupted, the spells that have the ability to tear them apart still work."

Aladdin shuddered. "That's a horrible mental image."

"You just cut off a head a few seconds ago!"

"And I'm trying to forget about it!" he snapped back.

"_Heads up!_"

Genie and Aladdin ducked as a spiral of magic shot over them and nailed a group of demons that were about to attack Carpet. The trio slowed down and glanced behind them. Serena, Tracy and Hercules stood on the roof of a nearby building. "Well. That's a neat trick."

Serena grinned. "Thanks. Look, I know you don't have much manpower around here, but I need to go into the Dark Lands to snuff out the two villains causing this and Herc is coming with me."

"Count me in," Aladdin agreed.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's not like I can do much here anyway." Aladdin turned to Genie. "I'm going to go with them. Tell Jasmine and the others I'm sorry I couldn't come to say goodbye. I'll be careful."

Genie wrapped Aladdin up in a big bear hug. "Good luck, Al."

"Take care of things here." Aladdin smiled and dismounted Carpet, joining his comrades on the roof. "Well, we better get going."

...

"Oh...wow."

Serena, Tracy, Hercules and Aladdin stood at the edge of Sherwood Forest, gaping in disbelief. Sherwood Forest didn't have as much manpower as other lands did and it seemed Lilo decided to help them out.

At least half of the alien experiments were there. Along with King Richards's men they defeated the shadows and demons swarming through the forest.

An arrow whizzed past their heads and impacted a figure behind them with a sickening thud. The demon stumbled but did not drop dead. Tracy blasted him with some magic and the being dissolved in a red mist.

"Not bad, kid."

Robin Hood swung down from the tree and landed in front of them. Little John emerged from the thicket seconds later. "What brings you to our humble home?"

Hercules grinned. "It seems like you got some reinforcements."

Robin grinned and looked at the colourful experiments that were kicking butt. "I certainly owe Lilo one, that's for sure. You young ladies are dressed up for battle, I see."

"Yup. I get to stay here and help King Mickey while Serena goes off into the Dark Lands with these two." Tracy gestured towards the two Disney heroes behind her.

Robin whistled softly. "That's a mighty big responsibility. Can I be of service in any way?"

Serena bit her lip. "I've come to ask if you would like to join us. I understand if you don't want to-"

"Of course I do!" Robin exclaimed. "If I can help in stopping the scoundrel that's the cause of this, then I'd be glad to join you."

"_Wait for me!_"

Aladdin stared at the rapidly approaching red lump. _"Iago?"_

"You didn't think you were leaving without me, did ya?" Iago snapped as he landed on Aladdin's shoulder.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Cassim?" Tracy asked.

"For your information, Miss Nosy, we stopped by the palace just as the attacks started. He hung around to help and I left when Genie told us where you were headed. By the way, Princess ain't too happy with ya, Al."

Aladdin winced. "Didn't think she would be. Are you sure you want to come?"

"Of course!" Iago ruffled his red feathers in irritation. "Those jerks are gonna run in fear once they get a load of me."

Tracy snorted. "Oh, yeah. They're going to be terrified of a parrot who talks too much."

In response Iago flew off Aladdin's shoulder and started pecking at the blonde. Tracy yelped and swatted at him. "Okay! I take it back! I take it back!"

Robin shook his head in amusement. "This ought to be interesting." He turned to Little John. "Tell Marian I love her and that I'll be back soon."

"I'm holding you to that," Little John warned before smacking his partner fondly on the back. "Good luck, kids. We'll hold down the fort here."

Tracy and Serena saluted him and the group made their way to the carriage.

...

"So, this is it..." Serena said nervously.

The group was standing at the very edge of the Kingdom. All you could see was an endless blue lake, but Serena knew that it was a sort of cloaking device. She could practically feel the magic stretching all across the edge of the Kingdom. They had reached the barrier.

"You'll do great," Tracy promised her. "Just remember that you have the gift of Magic."

The two girls stared at each other for a moment before hugging. Serena took a deep breath as she squeezed her best friend. The stakes were higher than last time. There was a very good chance one of them might not make it back.

Or both.

"We'll take care of her, kid," Robin promised, slinging an arm around Serena's shoulder.

"And no matter what, always keep hope," Aladdin added. "Never lose hope."

Tracy nodded. "I'll be sure to do that. Good luck. And I better be seeing all of you later." She mounted the carriage and with a final wave, she set off back for the castle.

Serena swallowed and held out her hands. Her companions took a firm hold and she could feel the support they were giving her. She was very glad she had taken Mickey's advice. It made her feel better to know some of her friends were coming with her.

The pendent around her neck glowed brightly. "Alright, boys. Here we go!"

And with that they stepped through the barrier.

And into the Dark Lands.


	6. The Troops

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian, Shawn  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**The Troops **

Tracy nervously played with the hilt of her sword as the carriage brought her back to the castle. The attacks were becoming more frequent and she noticed that the driver was picking up the speed. Not that she blamed him. She would be teleporting to the castle if she could.

Eventually the towering white castle came into view. It looked much less magnificent against the swirling black abyss that was the sky.

But what concerned her more was the recently-constructed RLS _Legacy _sitting casually in the front gardens.

She knew it was the _Legacy _because she and Serena had spent _weeks _fixing the stupid thing during their punishment sentence. Tracy gaped at it for a minute before scowling and stomping down the cobblestone pathway. It was fine that Serena got help-in fact, Tracy was glad her best friend wasn't going alone. But there was no way _she _was going to be receiving help. She didn't need it, didn't want it.

It was partly because she too shared Serena's concern of getting their friends killed. But it was also because her pride was fragile, much more so than Serena's. It had been bruised severely after getting caught during their fugitive days and just recently had it mended.

No doubt about it, Tracy Adams was prideful.

"I don't need it!" the blonde howled the second she crossed the threshold of the castle. She ignored the snickering guards and stormed into the throne room. "You hear me?"

"That is no way to talk to the King," Captain Amelia scolded. "I see your manners still need some polishing."

Tracy stared at her in disbelief before slowly locking eyes with Mickey. "They shouldn't be here!"

The _Legacy _crew were standing behind their king. Jim Hawkins grinned lazily at her and Morph chirped gleefully. B.E.N was only staying silent due to Jim's firm grip on his shoulder. The blonde was horrified that Doctor Delbert Doppler and Amelia had come to assist her. They had their own litter of children to worry about. She shouldn't be a priority.

"The lass bein a pain again, eh?"

Tracy's blue eyes widened. She stiffened when a metal hand clamped onto her shoulder. The soft whirring of gears could be heard in the tense silence. "Oh. No. I don't _think _so."

If there was one thing Long John Silver loved more than anything (besides Jim and Sarah, of course) it was pushing Tracy Adams to her limits. He loved watching her lose her temper. He loved watching her get frustrated and annoyed and flustered.

He was a pain in her butt.

The cybertronic arm moved so it was slung over her shoulders. The weight of the powerful arm nearly toppled her over. "Ye don' have a choice, lass."

Mickey shook his head at Tracy's furious expression. "I'm not letting Serena go through this alone and I'm not letting you go through this alone. Their land has more than enough manpower."

"The children are with Mom and they are under heavy guard, if that's what concerns you," Jim added knowingly.

Tracy pursed her lips. "Why was I not informed that this would be happening?"

Silver burst into his thundering laughter and Jim grinned. Mickey rolled his eyes. "Because if I had told you I probably would not see you again until the end of the war. You tend to pull a disappearing act when things don't go your way."

The blonde sighed heavily. Jim rocked back on his heels. "I brought some extra solar-surf boards. With your newfound power, I bet we could modify them."

That brightened her mood. With a delighted grin she raced for the ship, tossing a hasty 'goodbye' over her shoulder to the bemused Mickey. Jim was quick to follow her, leaving the adults to converse.

"T'at went well," Silver commented.

Mickey grinned. "It certainly went better than I expected. Thank you for coming."

"Anyt'ing fer ya, yer Majesty."

"Please, _try _not to rile Tracy up," Mickey pleaded. "With her new gift of Magic, she can do some damage."

A mischievous grin crossed Silver's face. "I'll treat the lass just fine."

"We are glad to be of service," Amelia said crisply. "Now, if we may begin our mission. Also, I do not want to leave my ship in the possession of Mr. Hawkins and Miss Adams for too-"

An explosion sounded in the distance. Amelia immediately hurried for the gardens, thinking the worst. Silver cackled and followed. Delbert rubbed his forehead. "This is going to be a _long _mission."

King Mickey smiled sympathetically. "Good luck, Doctor. And take care."

...

Stepping through the barrier was like walking through gelatin. It was thick and it rippled violently. After a few seconds they emerged on the other side. Serena did not let go of their hands.

"This is a pretty place," Aladdin remarked sarcastically as he warily took in their surroundings.

The sky was black with tinges of red. The ground was cracked and brown. Aside from some clumps of trees and bushes and a few feeble creeks, there was no other vegetation. What caught Serena's attention was the wide, expansive forest.

The wood was tall and skinny and there were no leaves on the branches. The bare trees were lumped together and it seemed like it would be torture trying to navigate through. Serena swallowed thickly and nervously played with the pendent around her neck. "Well...I guess we better start hunting."

"Piece of cake," Iago drawled. "Let's just walk through that scary-looking forest and call their names. I'm sure they'll answer."

"Did you have to bring him?" Hercules asked.

"Listen, Muscle Brain, I-"

Aladdin clamped a hand over Iago's beak. "Unfortunately, I did."

Robin adjusted the hat on his head. "I don't think we want to stay in one place for too long. Let's get moving."

Serena led the way. She hoped that they could go around the forest rather than through it and kept her eyes glued ahead. All she could think about was that Shawn was here.

Somewhere.

Her green eyes drifted towards the shadows of the Dark Forest. She froze when a pair of red eyes stared back at her. Robin crashed into her still form and frowned. "What's the matter-?"

A thunderous roar echoed throughout the Lands and a hulking creature jumped out of the forest, bringing down a few trees with it. The creature was covered in black fur, had six spindly legs and two extremely sharp pinchers.

A shrill scream erupted from Serena. She hastily threw some magic at the large beast and it screamed in agony before lashing out furiously. Hercules managed to slice of a pincher before it could cut Serena in half. "Well, we're off to a good start."

Serena was new to her powers. All she could do was form balls of magic and launch them. They worked, but they weren't as effective as she would have liked them to be.

The raven-haired girl yelped in shock as a leg came down on her chest, pinning her to the ground. Her companions were being held back by the other legs. Serena grabbed the sword that was tied to her waist and used it to cut off the leg holding her down.

The creature screamed in agony as Hercules cut off another. "Not bad!"

Robin loaded an arrow into his bow and aimed it. "Timber!" The arrow flew straight into the creature's chest.

The creature swayed before tumbling for the ground. Before it made impact, some black sludge spewed from its mouth and came towards her.

"_Look out!_"

The voice was female and not hers. Serena yelped in surprise as someone roughly tackled her out of the way. The black sludge covered the cracked ground and started bubbling. Serena stared with wide green eyes at her rescuer.

A fifteen-year-old girl with long black hair and red highlights was standing above her. Her purple eyes stared at her intensely. Slowly, she offered a hand. Serena hesitantly took it and was hauled to her feet.

Her male companions were staring at the mysterious female with suspicion. "Serena-"

The raven-haired girl waved Aladdin off. She stared at the girl curiously. "T-Thanks. But what was-?"

The girl gestured towards the hissing liquid. "We call it Acid Bile. An unattractive name for an unattractive attack."

"What was it?"

"We just call those kinds of things Toxins. They have an arsenal of acid-based attacks, but the one you took down was just a baby."

Serena gaped. _"A baby?"_

The girl's lips twitched. "Well Princess, how about you tell me why you're here?"

Robin strode forwards and placed a protective hand on Serena's shoulder and pulled her back. "And why should she tell you her business?"

The girl's eyes flashed. "Listen, buster, I-"

"Is there a problem?"

A sixteen-year-old with light ash brown hair seemed to come from nowhere. He slid beside the girl and regarded them coolly. "That's no way to treat someone after they've saved your friends life. If that acid had landed on her, she would be reduced to nothing but a sticky puddle."

Intrigued, Serena moved from behind Robin and went closer. She never thought there would be other teenagers in the Dark Lands besides Shawn. What did they do to get banished to such a place?

It looked like they had been in the Lands for a while. The girl's grey tank top, dark brown boots and tan pants were caked with dust. Her right hand was covered in white bandages and her red hoodie looked like it had been through a few beatings. Her sun necklace reflected the red in the black sky. A sword was tied to her waist and a bow was slung around her back along with a container of arrows.

The male reminded her of one of those shifty guys seen in spy films. He wore a black trench coat that reached his thighs and black cargo pants. His black combat boots were scuffed, and there also seemed to be some blood caked on them. Two curved swords were latched onto the belt around his waist.

"Sorry for my rudeness," she apologized, extending a hand. "I'm Serena."

The girl smiled slightly. "I'm Kyra. I suppose Arrow Boy has a point. I wouldn't answer if I was asked why I was here." She accepted the hand and shook.

The raven-haired girl then offered it to the male. He studied her with silver blue eyes before taking her hand in his. His fingerless gray gloves and moon ring brushed against her bare hands. "I am Adrian. It is a pleasure to meet you. And your friends?"

Serena glanced behind her. Her companions were still looking at the duo distrustfully. Iago would have insulted them to high heaven if it hadn't been for Aladdin firmly keeping his beak shut. "Uh..."

"Robin Hood," the fox finally said.

"Hercules," the demigod muttered.

"Aladdin," the prince said reluctantly. "And this is Iago-I'd let go of his beak, but it probably wouldn't be in our best interest at the moment."

"It is nice to meet you all," Kyra said politely. "Although I must say, this is an odd group to see in the Dark Lands."

Her purple eyes were roaming over Serena's suit of armour.

Serena bit her lip. "About that-"

"_Don't tell them anything!_" Iago finally managed to free himself from Aladdin. "You can't trust anyone in this land, _No one!_"

Serena hastily ushered Kyra and Adrian away from the short-tempered parrot. She knew the guys would lecture her about going off with strange people but Iago would not help matters. Besides, she had a feeling that they would be of help.

"Sorry about that. He's like that with everyone."

"And to think, I was feeling special." Kyra rolled her eyes.

"I don't know if this will make any sense to you but the Kingdom is becoming corrupted," Serena explained. "The evil is leaking and the balance is unstable. Malovent and Lord Odotherex are going to battle for the Kingdom and try to take it over. I've come here to try and stop them."

Kyra and Adrian exchanged a glance. "That is bad."

"Could you...help me?"

They stared at her in surprise. "Well, you know the Dark Lands better than we do."

Kyra held up her hands. "Whoa! You're asking two random people you just met-_in the Dark Lands_-to help you save countless lives?"

Serena nodded hopefully. Adrian cracked a smirk. "You're definitely not cut out for this place."

Kyra shook her head. "You got the stuff to take down Toxins-infant Toxins, yes, but that's still impressive. Well, we're not really doing anything for the rest of our lives, so we can help you out. If _they _will let us."

Serena nervously glanced back at her travelling companions. "Uh...they'll get used to you."

Adrian snorted in disbelief but did not say anything. Serena left to tell her male friends of the two new additions and Adrian turned to his girlfriend. "Kyra, what have I told you about running off by yourself?"

Kyra waved a hand dismissively. "I can take care of myself."

"Hmm."

"Don't give me that look! Besides, I saved someone, didn't I?"

"She has the gift of Magic."

Kyra rolled her eyes. "I know. I saw it. That's why I came over here. To see what was going on."

"You're really going to help Mickey after what he did?"

"It was for the protection of everyone. He knows it. You know it. I know it," Kyra said shortly.

"And what about...your problem?"

Kyra bit her lip. "It's been under control for a while now. As long as I keep eating those berries, I'm in control."

She strutted off and Adrian tilted his head to the sky. "This should be interesting."


	7. The Shattering

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian, Shawn  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**The Shattering**

The sky was flashing. Green and red pulses of light were lighting up the pitch black sky. The colours danced across the land and Tracy gripped the metal rails of the ship tightly. The _Legacy _manoeuvred carefully through the air. "This can't be good."

"It isn't," Jim muttered, leaning beside Tracy. "It'll happen any second now."

"What will happen?"

"You'll know," Jim answered vaguely. He kept his eyes trained ahead. "You'll know."

Before Tracy could inquire further a sickening sound rang across the Kingdom-it was much like the sound of shattering glass. The remaining fragments of light dissolved as the black blanket that stretched over them became denser. The only source of light (if you could call it that) was the dim red orbs that had formed.

The blonde slowly glanced around at the frightening sight. "Did the barrier just break?"

"It did indeed," Long John Silver called from his station by the wheel. "Welcome teh the Dark Kin'dom, lass."

Tracy gulped. There were dozens of lands in the Kingdom-even with the gift of Magic, King Mickey couldn't expect her to defend _all _of them at once! Her brow scrunched up as she thought. No...she wouldn't be able to stick around one place for too long...but maybe long enough to help them build a defense.

And those who didn't have any she would stick around and assist. It was time to see what her new powers could do.

"Hey, Silver!" she hollered. "Take us to Kauai!"

"Excuse me!" Captain Amelia snapped. "I believe I'm the captain here!"

Tracy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Sorry, _Captain._ King Mickey wants us to defend the lands. We can't be everywhere at once, so as quickly and as efficiently as we can we're going to build up a defense for as many lands as we can."

"And we're going to do that by...?" Jim prompted.

"Kauai has a lighthouse. The Dark creatures can't stand purity, magic and light. Since the Dark Lands have corrupted the Kingdom, we can only rely on the light we can find and the limited magic we have," Tracy explained. "I want to see how far across Kauai we can get the light of the lighthouse."

Delbert frowned. "That's a flawed plan. Can't we work out-?"

"No time," Tracy said curtly. "And besides, I've discovered that some of the best plans are the ones that are the least thought out."

With really nothing else to do Silver shook his head and obeyed Tracy. For now, it was the best they had.

...

Serena and the others had felt the shattering barrier as well. Serena paled. "Oh no!"

Kyra sighed. "That complicates things."

"Oh yeah, because things weren't complicated enough already!" Iago snapped sarcastically.

Kyra ignored the loud-mouthed bird and kept stride beside Adrian and Serena. Robin, Hercules, Aladdin and Iago trailed behind them. They hadn't been too happy when Serena told them that the two residents of the Dark Lands were coming with them. As heroes they were wary to trust two people that had been banished from their Kingdom.

But Serena was firm. Kyra and Adrian were coming with them-no ifs, ands or buts.

"So what exactly _is _the plan, if I may ask?" Adrian asked.

The raven-haired girl really didn't have a clue what they should do. For her and Tracy it was more or less reckless planning that just fell together. "We're on a manhunt. Our goal is to prevent Lord Odotherex and Malovent from getting into the Kingdom."

Kyra whistled. "That's a risky plan Princess."

Serena shrugged. "It's the only kind I have."

Adrian was thoughtful. "Well, even though the barrier has shattered, it will take a few days for the evil to completely immerse the Kingdom. Purity and magic is strong-it can't be demolished just like _that_." On the word _that _he snapped his fingers.

"But the creatures will be able to get across," Kyra informed. "The two darkest and foulest creatures in here are Odotherex and Malovent. Even the slightest amount of purity will burn them. Odotherex could probably withstand it for a period of time, but he's smart. He won't risk weakness and he'll wait until the evil has washed the purity out. That way he'll be the strongest when it comes time to attack."

"You seem to know a lot about those two," Hercules said suspiciously.

"We've had a...brief encounter," Kyra said mildly. Her purple eyes flashed briefly to her bandaged up hand before turning to stare at Serena. "A manhunt it is. I can't say I know where Lord Odotherex is but I have a vague idea on where Malovent is."

"Really?" Serena asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Like every villain, he's got minions. One of them is really young-her name is Sara. Don't look at me like that," she warned the male heroes. "I've been here long enough to know what's what and I knew Sara briefly before she was banished."

Serena was itching to know why Kyra and Adrian had gotten banished but she knew it was a personal question. Considering how nice these two were, she had a feeling it was a long and complicated story. So she didn't press. "How did Sara get banished?"

"By being a brat," Adrian muttered.

Kyra snickered. "She acted like one, definitely. But I suppose she had good reason to. You see, Sara is like an eight-year-old with the brain of a twenty-year-old genius mechanic. It's weird. She's well-known for her complex inventions. The thing is her inventions didn't exactly benefit anyone but herself."

"I knew from the moment I came across her she was trouble," Adrian growled.

Kyra laughed. "Adrian was off in Sherwood Forest looking for berries when Sara showed up. She was seven at the time and had come up with a ray that could mind-control people. Unfortunately, Adrian was her test subject. He-"

"No more!" Adrian snapped. He glared at Kyra warningly. "That was the worst experience of my life. One of the faults of her prototype was that the ray eventually wore off and you remembered everything. So I took it upon myself to destroy the blueprints and prototype. King Mickey gave her a warning and she didn't bother with another mind-control advice again."

"She went for something bigger. Remember what I said before-she's young and super-smart. I think Sara came to the realization that every invention she built to benefit _only _herself would be shunned and she was annoyed by the typical 'one for all and all for one' attitude the Kingdom had. So, she made a device that would suck the magic out of all the Magic Bearers and would leave her with the sole source of power."

"As you know the Kingdom law is 'purity always triumphs over evil'," Adrian added. "What Sara forgot to take into account was that what she was doing _was _evil. King Mickey managed to stop her. But not before she did a considerable amount of damage."

Kyra shook her head. "King Mickey knew that Sara would only try again. He banished her to the Dark Lands. And once you step foot in the Dark Lands you don't age. You can die from anything except natural causes. That's part of the punishment-if you want to escape this existence, you need to perish and move on in a painful way."

"Wow," Serena breathed. "That's...wow." She was amazed that there was so much more to the Disney World than she believed. "Were you there when she got banished?"

"Yup." Kyra tucked her red-streaked hair behind her ear. "We were in the Kingdom up until the banishment of Leah-Malovent's second and last minion. Then we were the next to go."

"For good reason," Iago muttered.

Kyra whirled around with a look of pure fury on her face. Adrian caught her arm and forced her back and shot the bird a cold glance. Serena furrowed her brow in confusion as she heard Adrian mutter, "Calm down, Kyra. You don't need to awaken You-Know-What by accident."

Kyra swallowed and took a deep breath. Serena quickly asked, "How did this Leah girl get banished?"

Adrian burst into laughter and Kyra swatted him on the shoulder, her lips twitching. "Well...Leah is an odd case. She was initially just a Disney character, like Adrian and I. No specific role to play. We were just there. But she grated on everyone's nerves-a lot. She's a nice kid, but she just got underfoot a lot. One time, when the villains were trying their usual 'take over the Kingdom' scheme, Leah nearly tilted the odds in their favour before King Mickey stopped her."

Adrian smirked. "We can't really say how. King Mickey didn't want another event like that to happen again so she was banished here. A few months later we arrived and we heard that Leah had gotten herself saved from a pair of Toxins by Malovent. He probably was hoping she would be useful as a minion. Unfortunately for him he's stuck with her until she repays the debt by saving his life."

Serena whistled. "Wow," she said again. She regarded Adrian and Kyra carefully. She could sense something was off about them-but she didn't know what. "So where are they?"

"Leah can get pretty loud. I heard her voice coming from the caves at the end of the Dark Forest," Kyra explained. "I wasn't in any condition to confront Malovent-to be honest I still don't think I am."

"Then see ya!" Iago hollered.

Aladdin sighed in exasperation. "Iago, will you _please _shut up?"

"Or else we'll be having parrot soup for dinner," Adrian muttered.

Serena giggled.

...

Red eyes sparkled with delight as the sensation of the barrier shattering engulfed her. "Oh yeah."

"Oh yeah what?" Leah asked, leaning her hand on the child's shoulder.

"Did you not just feel that?" Sara demanded.

"Well duh! Of course I did." Leah rolled her hazel eyes. "The barrier just broke. That means we have to move out into the Kingdom now."

Sara stared. She really expected to have to explain the plan to Leah once more. Sometimes she didn't know if Leah played dumb just to annoy her or...

The amused glint in Leah's eyes told her that she probably did.

Scowling, Sara fixed the bulky bag hanging around her small shoulders. "Master won't appreciate it if we dawdle. We have a lot of work to do."

"What exactly am I supposed to be doing?" Leah asked as she followed the girl across the plains.

"While I'm building the machine you'll be gathering the power source for it," Sara informed. "I'll explain it more when we get into the Kingdom."

Leah nodded. "It would suck if Lord Odotherex found us. That guy is amazing at manipulating people. He could probably find out our entire plan in just a minute!"

Sara gulped. Leah didn't quite know all of Lord Odotherex's powers. If he did happen to come across them they wouldn't stand a chance. "Keep your voice down," she snapped and picked up the pace. "Come on. We need to get to the Kingdom _now._"

...

A malicious smile crossed Lord Odotherex's dark tan face. "Isn't it a wonderful feeling, Ecthros?"

Ecthros nodded obediently. "Yes, my Lord. Shall I depart for the Kingdom now?"

"Not yet, Ecthros. Malovent seems to have quite the plan set into action. I think we shall let them do all the work and reap the rewards. Mickey will hold onto those shreds of magic and purity until it's erased completely by the evil." Lord Odotherex stared out across the plains. "Yes, we shall let those two brats Malovent calls minions do all the hard work. No need to waste energy and strength when we can get others to do it for us."

"But...sir," Ecthros spoke up nervously. "Won't Malovent beat you to the Kingdom?"

"If he is impatient, yes. But if that is the case he will move in too soon. Purity is strong, Ecthros. Even I cannot destroy it with a snap of my fingers. We shall wait, my loyal servant. We shall wait."

...

Leah whistled as they stepped out of the Dark Lands and into the Kingdom. "Haven't seen this place in a while."

Sara glanced at the tall, white and blue castle in the distance. "You and me both."

"Finally, I can go shopping for some new hats!" Leah said cheerfully.

Sara waved her hand in the air. "Whoa! This is not shopping time!"

Leah sighed and adjusted the purple top hat on her head. "So are you going to tell me what I have to do or what?"

"The machine I'll be building runs on essence of evil. You will be collecting that for me."

"How do I do that?"

"Well, I have to build the device first. Malovent doesn't exactly have state-of-the-art technology," Sara pointed out. "We're going to Duckburg."

Leah closed her eyes and tried to picture the place she once knew so well. "That's where Scrooge's Mansion is, right?"

"Yeah. Gyro Gearloose has his workshop in Duckburg. It's small, in a quiet place and has decent enough technology. I'll be working on my machine while you collect the essence. Creating the device you need won't take long." Sara adjusted her bag. "Let's move."

Leah stuffed her hands in her pockets and started to sing softly. "_Life is like a hurricane, here in, Duckburg. Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes! It's a-Duck blur!"_

"Stop that!" Sara snapped.

...

Huey, Dewey and Louie were not happy. While their Uncle Scrooge was off with Gyro and Launchpad saving the Kingdom they were ordered to stay in the mansion with Webby and Mrs. Beakley. "This reeks," Huey snapped, holding his chin in his wings and huffing.

Louie shrugged. "It's boring, but you know Uncle Scrooge is doing this for our safety."

"We've done lots of dangerous stuff before!" Huey protested.

Dewey glanced around the attic. Mrs. Beakley and Webby had fallen asleep some time ago, leaving the boys armed with flashlights. "Can you just see us fighting off a horde of demons with flashlights?"

"It's what King Mickey told everyone to do," Louie reminded them.

"But we're teenagers now!" Dewey protested. "And Uncle Donald keeps us here because he thinks we'll tear apart the castle! We're mature enough to take care of ourselves."

Huey blinked. "I wouldn't go _that _far."

Louie rolled his eyes. His gaze flickered towards Gyro's workshop across town and he froze. "Do you guys see that?"

Huey and Dewey crowded beside their brother. They squinted in the direction he was pointing. Sure enough, they could see the faint flicker of a blow torch reflect in the glass of Gyro's workshop window. "He's back already?"

"They just left." Louie frowned. "I think someone broke into Gyro's workshop."

"Then let's go get them!" Huey exclaimed. He jumped up and grabbed a couple of flashlights.

"Whoa!" Louie cried. "Uncle Donald will _kill _us if he finds out we disobeyed his orders!"

"We disobey them all the time," Dewey pointed out.

"Yeah, but he gets really ticked when we put ourselves directly in danger."

"Uncle Donald is currently at the castle helping Mickey," Huey said as he grabbed a baseball bat from the dusty corner. "Uncle Scrooge won't be back for a while. Duckworth is helping Daisy and Minnie send out as many warnings as they can. We'll be back before anyone knows we're gone."

"But what about them?" Dewey said in concern, gesturing towards Webby and Mrs. Beakley. "We can't leave them undefended."

Louie thought for a moment and grabbed a wingful of flashlights. Huey and Dewey watched as he rigged all of them up to the door and Louie stepped back. "When the demons try to get in, the flashlights will go off."

"What about the window?"

Louie motioned for them to crawl out. They did and after the three were on the roof Louie booby-trapped the window. "There. They also have plenty of flashlights left over."

Huey grinned and tossed Dewey the baseball bat. "Let's move!"

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Dewey demanded.

"Knock those demons out of the park."

"Oh, ha ha."

The three ducks snuck over to the workshop and peered cautiously through the window. They could see a small figure hunched some sort of ray gun, her blood-red hair covering her face. "She kind of looks familiar," Huey whispered.

"Who cares?" Dewey replied. "She's not a demon or a shadow. What good will flashlights do?"

"Why do you think I brought the baseball bat, dunce-head?"

"Oh."

"Come on." Louie and his brothers started creeping around the workshop. A rustling in the bush caused them to freeze and turn around. After a few minutes of silence they relaxed and started moving again.

"Okay, I'm going to kick down the door and we're going to ambush her," Huey instructed. "One-"

"Two, three!" a young female voice finished and the door was flung open. The triplets yelped and found themselves blinded by a flash of orange light. With moans they collapsed to the ground, out cold.

Sara smiled. "Knock-Out Ray. One of my favourite inventions."

Leah nudged one of the ducks with her toe. "What are you going to do with them?" she asked.

Sara shrugged. "There's no point in killing them. I'll tie them up." She tossed a black and purple ray gun at Leah, who caught it. "Here's your device. When you reach your target just press the trigger and collect the essence."

Leah hummed in thought. "You said evil essence. Does that mean I'm taking it from the villains?"

"Of course," Sara said impatiently. "Now get going. There are a lot of villains and I have a lot of work to do."

Leah cast a glance at the unconscious triplets before hurrying of. Sara was more of a conquering kind of villain and not so much a killer.

But the triplets wouldn't be seeing freedom for a while.

...

King Mickey stood on the balcony of his castle. His black eyes scanned the darkness that was consuming his land. It was happening.

But he would not allow his Kingdom to go down without a fight.


	8. One Land Down and Lots More to Go

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**One Land Down and Lots More to Go**

Max Goof was bored.

It was odd to be bored, he mused, when the apocalypse (for lack of a batter word) was happening outside. But his father had forbidden him to take any part in it. And so here he was, leaning against one of the many marble pillars in the throne room and watching idly as Mickey paced across the tiled floor, deep in thought. Goofy, being Royal Captain of the Guard (a position Max was surprised to see that his father actually performed well in) was out ensuring the protection of the castle.

Max stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced out the stained glass window. The darkness was unsettling and he had to admit that he didn't have the urge to go racing into a battle with demons and shadows. But he would be more at ease if he knew that the other lands were faring well.

"So," he finally spoke up. "What's the plan?"

Mickey glanced at him and sighed heavily. "The magic is limited. I can only do so much. Tracy is out helping the lands as best she can."

"There are over fifty of them," Max pointed out.

"Well, I _did _say the best she could do." Mickey collapsed into his large throne. "Golly, I certainly didn't expect _this _to ever happen."

"You didn't expect to have two cons to appear in your Kingdom, have said cons turn everything upside down and end up saving everyone," Max pointed out. "I bet you never expected to take those two cons into your guardianship."

Mickey could not help but grin. "You got that right."

Minnie and Daisy entered the throne room at that moment. "We've done all we can," Minnie said worriedly. "But I don't think it's going to be enough."

Mickey sat up and scrunched up his brow in thought. "If we want to hold these creatures off effectively we need a large machine to broadcast a powerful beam of light. But who can we get to help us create such a device?"

Daisy hummed in thought. "Maurice should probably stay with Belle and the others. He's already informed me that their land has managed to hold back the horde. We should let him keep whatever device he's created. Gyro is off with Scrooge and Launchpad-"

"What about Professor Ludwig Von Drake?" Max suggested.

"Good idea, Max!" Minnie exclaimed.

Mickey smiled. "I think his upbeat attitude might be good for us all as well. Minnie?"

"I'm on it!" She hurried back for Mickey's study to send the letter.

"Where's Duckworth?" Mickey asked.

"He left."

"By himself?" Mickey frowned in concern.

Daisy grinned. "He seems to believe that working for Scrooge McDuck for as long as he has has prepared him for anything."

Mickey laughed and Donald strode in. "Have you seen my father?" Max asked. Goofy had been gone for a while and the teen was getting worried.

"Last I saw him he was standing guard in front of the castle." Donald shrugged and slung a wing around Daisy. "Hiya, toots."

"_WHAT DO YEH MEAN, IDENTIFY MYSELF?" _a furious Scottish-accented voice bellowed from the entrance hall. "_GOOFY, YEH KNOW WHO AH AM!"_

"Oh, geez," Donald muttered.

"Looks like Mr. McDuck decided to pay us a visit," Max said in amusement.

Mickey rolled his eyes in good humour. "Just what I need."

Scrooge McDuck stormed into the throne room with Goofy scrambling behind. "But what if yer a demon in disguise?"

Scrooge whirled around and bonked Goofy on the head with his cane. Goofy swayed a bit before smiling. "Ah-hyuck! That's Scrooge, alright!"

Max and Scrooge rolled their eyes. The rich duck glanced around the room frantically before locking eyes on Donald.

"I don't like that look on your face," Donald said warily.

"_Please _tell me the triplets are with you!" Scrooge begged.

A sickening silence fell upon the room. Very slowly, Donald shook his head, his face pale. "Aren't the little hellions with you?" he asked in a dangerous voice.

Daisy recognized the signs of an oncoming fit and placed a soothing wing on his shoulder. He was getting mad because he was worried, and anger would not accomplish anything right now.

Scrooge rubbed his forehead. "They _were. _I left them in the attic with Webby and Mrs. Beakley. I spent a while with Gyro and Launchpad, trying to keep the filth out of Duckburg when I decided to see how they were holding up. When I opened the door I was blinded by light. One of them rigged a trap to the door with flashlights. When everything was clear I noticed that the triplets were missing. Mrs. Beakley told me she must have fallen asleep with Webby and she has no clue where they are."

Donald scowled. "I _told _them not to leave the mansion! I _told _them to stay put! _BUT THEY NEVER LISTEN TO A WORD I SAY!"_

Daisy squeezed his shoulder. "Calm down!" she ordered. "Getting mad won't fix anything. I'm sure they went off to see if they could help."

"I'll let Tracy know and she can keep an eye out," Mickey soothed. "We'll make sure they come back safe and sound."

"Maxie and I can go out and look, if ya want," Goofy offered.

Max stood a little straighter. It would be something to do and he was worried about the mischievous teen ducks. "Yeah, I'll help."

"Thank you." Mickey nodded. "Be careful and come back if things start to become too much to handle."

Max saluted him playfully before departing with his father.

"We'll find them," Mickey assured the two worried uncles.

Scrooge and Donald exchanged glances. They truly hoped so.

...

"Well, this is a problem."

"You think?" Jim peered over the side of the ship and stared below.

As many people as possible were squeezed around the lighthouse. The experiments were doing the best they could and Sparky was putting in as much power as possible. But there were a lot of shadows and demons.

Tracy hummed as she scanned the area. "Since there's no place to land I'll grab a solar-board and-"

"And what good will a solar-board do you with _no light_?" Delbert demanded.

Tracy held up her hand and a ball of silvery magic appeared. She grinned at the bewildered doctor and used the magic to power up the solar-board she had left on deck. "Pixie dust is great, but this is even better!"

"And what do you plan on doing?" Amelia asked sharply.

"I don't know. It'll come to me when I get down there," Tracy answered and jumped from the side of the ship. She was thankful when the power of magic worked as a substitute for solar power. "Keep those creatures away from the locals."

Amelia scowled as Tracy flew closer to the lighthouse. "She needs to learn who the captain is on this ship."

Delbert smiled slightly. "My dear, I don't think anyone can tell Tracy Adams _anything_."

Silver's mechanical eye spotted Jim sneaking over to a spare solar board. "An' jus' where do yeh think yer goin'?"

Jim grinned sheepishly. "To...help."

Silver frowned at him sternly. "Yeh can help by mannin' the cannons."

"But-"

"Now, Jimbo."

With an irritated sigh Jim complied. He had a feeling Tracy would be having all the fun on this journey.

"You're in a bit of a tight spot."

Wendy Pleakley glanced up. "Oh, it's you."

Tracy grinned. "The one and only."

"We're kind of busy," Pleakley said pointedly. A demon strayed too close for the noodle-like alien's comfort and he yelped, shooting the thing down with his laser gun.

Tracy used her magic to clear the rest of the demons out of the way. "Where's Lilo?"

"Up in the lighthouse," Pleakley answered. "What are you-?"

Tracy used her board to fly up to the main part of the lighthouse. She could see Lilo and Stitch pressed against the glass, looking around in concern.

"Need some help?"

Lilo jumped and Stitch whirled around, prepared to attack. But they both relaxed upon seeing Tracy. "We really could. But what can you do?"

In response Tracy created a sphere of magic. Lilo beamed. "That works."

"Now let's see if this little idea of mine works." Tracy squatted down next to Sparky. "I need those cables for just a moment."

Sparky glanced at Lilo uncertainly. Lilo motioned for Sparky to hand the cables over.

Instant darkness fell when Sparky removed the cables. Terrified screams rang outside. Tracy quickly stuck the cables into the sphere of magic and waited tensely.

There was a quick, blinding flash of light before it settled. Tracy rubbed her eyes and peered out the glass. "Ah yeah! It worked!"

The feeble light Sparky was giving off was now a full-blown pulse of pure white light. Tracy watched in awe as the demons and shadows fizzled into dust. "Wow. Magic really is a powerful tool."

"You did it!" Lilo shrieked, jumping up and down excitedly. Most of the island was illuminated, meaning that the inhabitants were safe.

Tracy stared at the sphere of magic floating in the air, attached to two cables. Sparky stared in awe. "Well. I think my work here is done. Where's Jumba?"

"He tried to go back to the house alone to work on something, but I wouldn't let him. I got Stitch to tie him and he's in the closet."

Tracy stared at the closet Lilo was pointing to. _A closet in a lighthouse. Interesting._ "Well, I wish you luck. That's one land down and lots more to go."

"Thanks a bunch," Lilo said gratefully. "I don't think we could have held them off for much longer."

"No problem." Tracy smiled and waved goodbye. She hopped on the board and flew back to the ship. Everyone was staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths.

"I can't believe you did it!" Delbert cried.

"Thanks for the confidence."

Silver studied her. "Wha' exactly did yeh do?"

Tracy rocked back on her heels. "I simply replaced Sparky's power with my magic." She formed another sphere to show her point. "You know, I'm going to start experimenting with my new powers. Who knows what I can do?"

"I'm a bi' worried teh find ou'," Silver muttered.

Amelia shook her head and turned on her heel. "Next stop, New York."

Tracy decided not to argue. Besides, she hadn't seen Oliver and company in forever.

...

Serena swallowed as she stared at the threatening forest looming over them. "Er...can't we go around?"

"Of course not," Iago said bitterly. "That would be too easy. Stuff like this has to be done the hard way."

"Unfortunately, he's right." Kyra gestured towards the forest. "This is the quickest way to the caves. There's a path that will lead to it on the other side. It's a heck of a walk and there will be creatures."

"Fantastic," Robin drawled.

"I wanted to get a close up on another Toxin," Hercules agreed sarcastically.

Serena rolled her emerald eyes. "You weren't the one who was nearly acid-vomited on."

Everyone shuddered.

With reluctance the Kingdom heroes entered the Dark Forest. Adrian was ahead, slashing through the thin and weak trees with his curved swords. Kyra had her hands in her pockets and was walking casually. Serena (to the displeasure of her protective male companions) sidled closer to the girl. "Do you get used to being here?"

Kyra shrugged. "You learn to get used to being on constant alert. You learn to embrace the danger in these lands. You can't run from it. You have to fight against it."

Serena was brimming with curiosity. She wanted to know more about the lands. More about Malovent and Lord Odotherex. She wanted to know why Kyra and Adrian were here in the first place.

That last question was one she decided to ask her male friends. They may only give her their version of the event that caused the two to get banished, but at least she would have something to go by.

"What other creatures live here besides Toxins?"

Kyra counted them off on her fingers. "Hounds, Stingers, Cobras, Vampire Piranhas, Fanged Hawks and Soul-Eaters."

"_Soul-Eaters?" _Aladdin cried.

Kyra laughed. "I was just messing with you. There are no Soul-Eaters. However, everything else exists."

"Why did I agree to this?" Hercules wondered.

Serena snorted. "I didn't ask! You _volunteered _to come with me. Heck, you demanded."

Hercules snapped his fingers. "That was my problem. You should have stopped me."

The raven-haired girl shook her head. "Have you ever...encountered Malovent or Lord Odotherex?"

"Malovent, yes." Kyra nodded. "As for Lord Odotherex, you don't really encounter him and live to tell the tale. Unless he decides you could be useful."

"Were you in the Kingdom when they were banished?" Serena asked.

"Well, Malovent has always been here. But King Mickey knows everyone that gets sent to this place. So I've heard rumours about him. Malovent knows about the Kingdom and I suppose that would be Sara or Leah's fault. However, I was banished here before Lord Odotherex."

"Then how do you know him?"

"I ran into his minion, Ecthros," Kyra explained. "I was wandering-apparently-close to their hideout and he appeared. He warned me to leave at once. He said if his master caught me I would be killed. Ecthros said that Lord Odotherex wouldn't like someone knowing where he was hiding. So I left. But I when I came back to see who Lord Odotherex was they were both nowhere to be seen. I guess they moved."

"I gave her a lot of trouble over that," Adrian said over his shoulder.

"How did you get away from Malovent?"

"You ask a lot of questions Princess." But Kyra answered. "I was off picking berries when I came across him. He was in a foul mood and from his appearance and the descriptions that were told to me I knew that this was Malovent. He started attacking and I started defending. He was more powerful than I expected and one of his demons made a deep scratch along my arm and all the way down to my hand. Adrian found me in time and fought the demons and Malovent back. Then he brought me back to where we set up camp."

That explains the bandages. Serena then turned to her watchful friends. "How did Lord Odotherex come to the Dark Lands?"

Hercules shook his head. "That is one odd story."

"How so?" Serena asked, ducking to avoid a swinging branch.

"He just...appeared," Aladdin said. "One day we weren't aware of his existence and then _poof_. He was in our Kingdom. He didn't do anything at first. He prowled around and learned about our Kingdom. He was informing himself. He got to know who lived in the Kingdom and smooth-talked everyone. In fact, he used the connections he had developed to get right into the castle. Then he attacked with an army of shadows."

"King Mickey jumped right into action. But Lord Odotherex was powerful. He introduced himself-he knew who Mickey was and he believed it was only fair that Mickey knew who he was," Hercules continued. "But Lord Odotherex, even though he isn't from here, suddenly became aware that the purity and magic in our Kingdom could destroy even him-a villain who was not bound by the 'good always triumphs' law."

"It was starting to burn him out. So he retreated. He took his minion with him all the way into the Dark Lands," Robin finished.

"But I thought only King Mickey could control who goes in and who goes out!" Serena exclaimed.

Robin smiled grimly. "Lord Odotherex did a number on King Mickey. But he knew he wouldn't last much longer with so much love and purity in the atmosphere. With the King so weak the barrier dissolved for only a brief moment. Lord Odotherex went right into the Lands. King Mickey got right back on his feet and the barrier repaired upon sensing that its ruler was well and alive."

"So with the King gone the barrier leaves as well?" Serena asked.

Aladdin nodded. "King Mickey is connected to almost everything in the Kingdom. If he falls, the Kingdom falls."

"And the only reason the barrier broke of its own accord was because of the unbalance between good and evil," Iago piped up. "That's the only other reason the barrier could shatter."

"But what bothers Mickey is that Lord Odotherex bided his time. Lord Odotherex used King Mickey's people as stepping stones, if you will. He gathered the knowledge he needed to overthrow King Mickey. He _waited._ He was patient about it. And when he knew there was a possibility of him getting defeated he retreated into the perfect place-in the Dark Lands, you have a whole army that are not bound by the rules of the Kingdom." Aladdin shuddered. "And that's why I think the King is worried. If Lord Odotherex is not attacking yet it means he has a plan. And his plans mean disaster for the King."

Serena processed all of this. "How does he expect us to defeat Lord Odotherex then?"

Hercules shrugged. "You have the gift of Magic. It's even stronger than the Kings. I think he's hoping that you have to power to vanquish Odotherex when he himself couldn't."

"That's a lot of hope," Serena muttered.

Kyra, who had been listening, patted her arm. "We'll save Lord Odotherex for last. Right now, let's just focus on one thing at a time."

_Yeah, like not getting killed, _Serena thought.

Adrian let out a sharp cry and jumped backwards. Everyone froze as a large wolf with glistening fangs and red eyes stalked from the shadows and came towards them, snarling.

_Whoops. Spoke too soon._


	9. Hound Dogs

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**Hound Dogs**

Serena's green eyes flickered back and forth. These giant wolves were crawling out of the thicket and surrounding them. Robin loaded up his bow and arched an eyebrow. "Hounds, I presume?"

Kyra smiled grimly. "They can tear off your arm with one tug."

"I'm outta here!" Iago exclaimed.

Aladdin quickly prevented the parrot from flying off and scowled. "Don't be a coward."

Although Serena would like nothing more to take off in the opposite direction she knew it would be futile. "Game on," she muttered and let the magic light up her hands.

Three Hounds sprung at her, saliva dripping from their fangs. Serena slammed a blast of magic at them and they shrunk back, snarling. Robin pierced a Hound in the chest and it dropped to the ground, bleeding heavily. Adrian used his swords to cut deep wounds into their bodies or he killed them completely. Serena wrinkled her nose at the disgusting sight and yelped when she felt something sharp dig into her ankle.

_They can tear off your arm in one tug._

Panicked, Serena managed to make ropes of pure magic shoot out of the ground and wrap around the Hound's muzzle. It roared and thrashed. The magic was burning into him. Serena climbed to her feet and used another blast to scare it off. The Hound gave a pitiful howl before rushing off through the trees.

Kyra and Robin used their arrows to take down the last remaining Hound. Serena pressed her hand against her bleeding ankle and got a flashback toward her times as a fugitive in the Disney World. "Everyone good?" Serena asked.

Aladdin eyed her with concern. "Shouldn't we be asking you that?"

"I'm fine. But am I going to turn into a werewolf or something?"

Kyra stared at her. "Uh...no. And I'm certain on that, considering I've taken many cuts by those beasts."

Hercules helped Serena to her feet. Adrian removed a roll of bandages from his trench coat pocket. "Here. You don't want that to get infected."

Hercules took the bandages and wrapped Serena's ankle up tight. The girl was relieved to discover that she could still walk on it with little pain. "That wasn't so bad."

"You nearly got your ankle sliced off!" Iago protested. "And you call this experience 'not bad'?"

Serena grinned. "Well, I've been through worse."

"Like what?" Kyra asked.

It was then Serena realized she hadn't explained her story to the two Dark Land inhabitants.

The time passed quickly as the raven-haired girl told her story. Kyra and Adrian listened attentively and her male companions would throw in a teasing remark every once in a while. By the time she had finished the sky had grown darker and it was getting even more difficult to navigate.

"That's intense," Kyra said in awe. "I was wondering how someone like you ended up in the Kingdom."

Adrian stopped them in a dry clearing. "We'll set up camp here."

"So we're just gonna sleep on the ground in the open?" Iago asked in disbelief. "I'm gonna be dinner for those Hound freaks!"

"We'll light a fire. Dark Creatures don't stray anywhere close to fire," Kyra assured him. "I can go out and search for some food."

"What if Malovent or Lord Odotherex see the flames?" Serena asked nervously.

Kyra grinned. "For someone who took on a demented lackey bent on getting revenge, you sure worry a lot. The thicket around the clearing will prevent anyone from seeing the fire."

Adrian started on putting together a fire and Kyra set off. The boy seemed to have a routine going and the Kingdom Warriors didn't want to disturb it. They plopped down a distance away and Iago perched himself on Serena's shoulder. "I don't trust them."

Serena sighed in exasperation. "So you keep telling me. Listen, without them, we'll be stumbling around this place with absolutely no idea of where we're going. We need them. And if you were _really _against them coming with us you would make it so."

"Just be careful around them, kid," Robin cautioned.

"I will." The question she had been dying to ask since she met Kyra and Adrian came out. "They don't seem like they belong in the Dark Lands. What did they do?"

Aladdin hesitated. "It's complicated."

Serena pouted and gave her best puppy-dog face. Robin smiled slightly. "Did Lilo teach you that?"

"Yup. Can you _please _tell me what you know about Kyra and Adrian?" Serena pleaded.

"Alright, alright." Aladdin gave in. "A couple of years before you and Tracy arrived Kyra and Adrian were living in the Kingdom. I don't know much about their home lives. Robin and I were present for jury when Kyra was getting banished. Apparently, she had attempted to kill her mother and would have succeeded if Adrian hadn't stopped her.

"Adrian was almost killed but the neighbours grew concerned when they heard the screams and contacted King Mickey. The rural village in which Kyra lived was very close to the castle. Mickey arrived and stopped Kyra from harming Adrian.

"Kyra insisted that she would never hurt her mother or Adrian. She said she had been taken over by an evil spirit-a demon. Although this is not unheard of in the Kingdom it's extremely unlikely."

"Did you believe her?" Serena asked.

Aladdin shrugged. "I never knew her well enough to get a judge of character. All I went on were the facts delivered at the trial. And if she was now hosting a demon she had to be sent to a place where she wouldn't harm any innocents."

"Did you even try to expel the demon from her?"

"To expel a demon takes a lot of willpower and a lot of magic-magic that even King Mickey doesn't have," Robin explained. "We had no choice. Kyra's mother-Jen is her name, I believe-pleaded for her daughter to stay. But King Mickey was firm. Kyra was sent off and Adrian burst into court. He demanded that he be sent with her. King Mickey didn't like it, but Adrian was determined to be exiled with her. That's how they ended up here."

"It also explains why they aren't bloodthirsty like the other inhabitants," Serena mused.

"That's why we keep telling you to be careful around them," Hercules said. "I don't know how Kyra is keeping the demon docile but it could rise up at any time. We don't want you to be around when that happens."

"The concern is appreciated. But I can take care of myself," Serena said firmly.

"Sure you can," Robin drawled.

Serena shot him a glare and leaned against a nearby tree. She stared at her surroundings before sighing.

_I wonder how Tracy is doing._

...

"It's chaos!" the blonde cried as she leaned over the rails of the ship. "Absolute chaos!"

"What else did you expect?" Jim questioned as he made sure the girl did not tumble over the side. "It's a war."

Tracy wrinkled her nose as she recalled the last war she had been involved in. It was a lot like what was happening now.

Down below, demons and shadows were battling each other as well as the inhabitants of the Kingdom. Feeble orbs of light could be seen dancing across the land. Tracy was certain every flashlight and torch in the Kingdom were being used.

"New York City dead ahead!" Amelia called.

"There's nowhere to land so you'll have to-" Delbert began and Tracy eagerly snagged the solar-board from his grip.

"Sweet! See ya'll in a few." Tracy departed the ship and Jim grinned in amusement.

"She's a live wire, that's for sure."

"Too much fer her own good," Silver sighed.

As she surfed over New York City she took advantage of the time to experiment with her magic. She managed to make ropes of pure magic shoot out from the ground and she could also attack her enemies with rings of magic.

"This is so cool!" Tracy grinned as she blasted as many shadows and demons as she could. She assumed the inhabitants of New York City were taking cover in their homes. Every street light and sign was devoid of light, however. "Hmm..."

If she could use her magic as a light substitute for a lighthouse why not for the entire electrical grid for New York City?

"But where to find it," she mused.

"Hey doll, down here!"

Tracy glanced down and grinned. Dodger had his head stuck out of Jenny's luxurious bedroom window and was calling out to her. Tracy zoomed down and hovered outside of the window. "What's shaking, dawg?"

Serena and Tracy had discovered that since they were humans from the Real World they could converse with all animals of the Kingdom. Some lands didn't have that luxury (Jenny) and some did (Penny). It all depended on whether or not the characters could hear and respond to the animals in their movies.

Disney Laws were fickle ones.

Dodger arched an eyebrow. "In case you haven't noticed, we're under attack."

"Are you here to help?" Jenny asked softly as she approached the window, cradling Oliver.

"Of course. I just need someone to point me towards the cities electrical power grid."

Dodger stared at her. Tracy grinned. "I got a plan."

"Will it work?" Jenny inquired.

"Sure it will." Tracy ignored Dodger's dubious expression. "You got a city map around here?"

"Mr. Fagin might have one. He seems to have everything in that jacket of his," Jenny responded before hurrying away. She was eager to help considering she had been forced to stay inside by Winston (who she considered a second father rather than just her butler).

"He-ey!" Tito crowed as he hopped on the window sill. "Long time no see, baby!"

"Alfonzo," Tracy teased. "How come you're not out there kicking butt?"

"Are you loco, woman? It's nutso out there! I ain't risking my pretty face when I know I ain't got a chance."

Tracy rolled her eyes. Before she could respond Jenny bounded in with Fagin right behind her. "He's got a map for you!"

"And he wants to know why you need it," Fagin added.

"Well, I have a plan."

"Which is?" Fagin prompted.

"I was in Kauai and they were having a similar problem. Their lighthouse was down and so I used my newfound abilities-" Here she formed a sphere of magic that cast a bright white light around the dark room. Jenny stared at it in awe. "-to replace the normal light source and it worked. So I was planning on using my magic to power up the city's electrical grid."

The animals were staring at her as if she'd gone mad. "What?" Tracy snapped defensively.

"That's a flawed plan, isn't it?" Fagin asked cautiously.

Tracy was sorely tempted to point out that _his _plan to pay off the loan shark Sykes was also flawed. But she bit her tongue and shrugged. "I guess I'll find out soon enough."

"Be careful," Fagin said as he handed over a map of New York City.

Tracy grinned. "Aren't I always?"

Jenny watched as she sped off. Fagin patted her on the head before moving off. The little girl sighed heavily. She was tired of being holed up in her room. She wanted to help!

She adjusted Oliver in her arms and grabbed the flashlight from her nightstand table. Dodger watched in concern as Jenny slipped out of her bedroom door. "That don't look good."

Tito pushed himself up on his front paws and peered out the window. "The girl is making a break for it!"

Sure enough, Jenny had managed to slip past Fagin and Winston and was now rushing after Tracy, her flashlight swinging around wildly. Dodger groaned. "What's she thinking? C'mon, we gotta go after her."

"Whoa! My pretty face-"

"It's either your pretty face or Jenny's."

"Well then, what are we standing around here for? Let's go!"

...

Huey wearily opened his eyes. He was disoriented for a bit before coming to the hard realization that he was tied up and his beak was taped shut. Frantically he looked to his right and was relieved to see that his brothers were beside him.

Louie jerked his head and Huey followed the movement with his gaze. A little girl was crouched over a machine, blow-torch whirring. Her blood-red hair flowed around her small form.

When Sara was banished the triplets were too young to remember it. All they knew was that they had been beat by a girl half their age and they weren't happy about it.

_Now what? _Huey could practically hear Dewey's thoughts.

Huey moved his wings and tried to see if he could loosen the bounds. No such luck.

Dewey stared at the machine the girl was building. Whoever she was she definitely wasn't on their side. The machine she was so attentive on seemed important. If he kept a close eye on how she was building it maybe he could dissemble it safely later on.

Louie patted the ground behind him and held back a wide grin when his wing closed on screwdriver. It wasn't that sharp and it would take a while before he got himself free, but it was something.

And it seemed like the girl was focussed on completing her mysterious machine as quickly as possible.

She wouldn't be bothering them for a while.

...

Max stumbled across the land, his flashlight swirling around. The demons hissed at the light and shrunk away. Goofy was close behind, showing the uncharacteristic seriousness and protectiveness he normally adopted around his son in dangerous situations.

"Where do you think the triplets are?" Max asked softly.

Goofy chuckled. "Knowin' Huey, Dewey and Louie I would guess that they could be anywhere."

Max wrinkled his nose. "That's not comforting."

The bushes near them exploded in a flurry of leaves and three demons charged out, hissing madly. Max yelped in shock and stumbled backwards. His foot caught on a rock and he took a spill down the slope.

The last thing he heard was a startled cry from his father before he was forced to run for his life as the third demon charged after him.


	10. Possessed

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**Possessed**

Tracy navigated the solar-board over New York City, her blue eyes flickering from the sky to the map in her hands. She supposed she should have let the Treasure Planet crew know where she was heading. They would probably get annoyed quick if she continued her impulsive actions.

She snorted. They would have to deal with it. She was nothing _but _impulsive.

The demons were crawling all over the place. Tracy slammed bolts of magic to the ground below and the demons crumbled into dust. The blonde grinned. "Piece of cake."

A shrill scream reached her eyes. It seemed to come from several blocks away. Tracy winced. _Spoke to soon._

She hastily did a U-turn and rushed towards the source of the scream. Her blue eyes widened upon seeing the little girl enclosed by demons. They were snarling and stumbling towards her. The feeble light coming from Jenny's flashlight only made them flinch and there were too many to hold them all back. Oliver hissed and spat, his little claws scratching out when a demon got too close to his owner.

"_Woof!"_

The powerful bark caused Tracy to pause, her hand held in the air and blazing with magic. Dodger and Tito bounded onto the scene and Dodger ripped the arm off of a demon that tried to grab Jenny by the neck. Tito growled and stayed close to Jenny's side.

One demon grabbed Dodger from the scruff of his neck and made to bite him.

"_Ew!"_

Tracy slammed her magic to the ground. The concrete exploded into tiny pieces and the demons were flung against the buildings. They crumbled into dust as the bright light struck them; spiraling out from the crater Tracy had created from her shot.

"That's gross," Tracy cried. "He was gonna eat you!"

Dodger shook himself out. "I don't feel too happy about it either, doll."

Jenny sniffled and Oliver rubbed against her cheek comfortingly. He grinned sheepishly at Tracy. "I tried to stop her, but my meowing didn't do much good."

"No kidding!" Tito snapped. "Look! That magic blast the _loco senorita_ sent singed my fur!"

"You're alive, aren't you?" Tracy asked.

"We won't be for long," Dodger warned. Sure enough, more demons and some shadows were fast approaching.

Tracy swooped down and hauled Jenny onto her solar-board. Dodger and Tito hopped on behind the girl and balanced themselves. Tracy carefully moved higher into the air so they were safe from the hungry grasp of the demons below. "Okay, time to go home."

"But I wanna help!" Jenny protested. "It's not often I get to have an adventure around here."

Tracy sighed. "Fine."

Dodger, Tito and Oliver made noises of stern refusal. There was no way Jenny was going with Tracy, the girl who always managed to get into trouble.

"Relax!" Tracy said as she continued towards her destination. "I know what I'm doing."

The animals exchanged looks of disbelief. Tracy made it to the city's electrical power grid and blasted her way into the main control room. Dodger rolled his eyes as the padlocked door flew off of its hinges. "Classy."

"What are you going to do again?" Jenny asked.

"I'm going to power this city with my magic," Tracy answered. "Er...you might want to stand back. I don't really know what's going to happen."

Dodger hastily ushered Jenny to the very back of the room and stood in front of her. Tito cowered behind Jenny's legs and Tracy took a deep breath before slamming a pulse of magic into the grid.

_BAM!_

The grid sparked with white light and Tracy was thrown backwards into the wall. Jenny screamed in panic as the grid crackled and buzzed. As soon as it started, however, it stopped. The grid hummed gently and glowed.

Tracy gingerly got to her feet. "Did it work?"

"Are you loco?" Tito asked angrily. "You could have fried all of us!"

Tracy grinned sheepishly. "But I didn't. And it worked!"

Dodger walked outside and stared. Every streetlight, every light bulb, every sign was glowing a magnificent white. The demons and shadows were burning by the dozens. "Wow."

"And that's how I roll." Tracy grinned in triumph. "You guys should be okay from now on."

Tito shook his head. "You never cease to amaze me."

"I try." They all piled on the solar-board and Tracy dropped them off at Jenny's lavish home. Winston was beside himself and hoisted Jenny in the air when she ran to him.

"What were you thinking?" he demanded.

Jenny smiled nervously. "I wanted to help."

"You helped alright," Fagin said as he stroked Dodger and Tito. "You helped in giving me a heart attack. And what exactly did _you _do?"

Tracy smiled innocently. "I'll let Jenny explain. I got a lot of work to do. Stay inside and if anything happens, you know how to send a distress call."

The blonde flew back to the ship and Winston shook his head. "Unbelievable. Alright, young lady. You have a lot of explaining to do."

...

Serena stared at the dark sky. Her friends were sleeping soundly around her and the fire flickered gently. Unable to sleep, Serena decided to keep watch for any Dark Creatures.

A soft-spoken curse caught her attention. Curious, Serena tilted her head to the side and watched as Kyra rummaged frantically through her bag. "No, no, no!" the girl whispered desperately. Her body gave a quick jolt and Kyra gritted her teeth. "How could I have been so stupid?"

She shot to her feet and took off through the bushes. Serena widened her eyes and hastily got up. Kyra had left her weapons behind. Worried that she might run into trouble Serena rushed after her, hoping that she could help in some way.

Serena tumbled through the thicket, straining her ears so she could track Kyra's heavy footfalls. Eventually she stumbled into another clearing, but this one had some type of berry bushes scattered about. Serena glanced around. "Kyra?" she called softly. "Are you okay?"

No answer.

_Maybe this wasn't such a great idea, _Serena thought nervously. She had no idea where she was and if she had lost Kyra, then it would be a while before anyone found her.

Someone stepped on a twig behind her. Serena whirled around, her hands blazing with magic and her heart pounding. "Kyra," she breathed in relief. "Are you okay? You ran off quite suddenly."

Kyra's eyes were locked onto the ground. Very slowly, she lifted her head up. Serena paled and backed up. "Weren't your eyes purple before?" she asked nervously.

Blood red eyes stared hungrily at her. Serena trembled.

"_She had been taken over by an evil spirit-a demon."_

She had forgotten. And now it seemed like the demon was taking control. "Kyra?" Serena whispered. "It's me, Serena."

_Yeah, like that's going to work. She nearly killed her mother and Adrian-do you _really _think she's going to hesitate in killing a girl she hardly knows?_

Kyra snarled and pounced, pinning Serena to the ground. She twisted desperately and Kyra grabbed her throat. A cruel smile snaked across her face. "Time to die," the demon hissed.

Serena shrieked and Kyra tightened her grip on her throat. Serena blasted Kyra off of her with magic and the girl twitched in pain, blisters appearing on her arms. Serena made a run for it but was tackled back to the ground.

"That wasn't smart," Kyra growled.

Serena wasn't sure how many blasts Kyra could take without getting killed. It was obvious the demon got hurt by magic, but so did Kyra. It took a lot of magic to expel a demon-not to harm them.

"_Kyra!_"

Something knocked the possessed girl off of Serena. She climbed shakily to her feet and stared at Adrian. His eyes were set and he stood firm as the girl snarled at him. "Get some of those berries," he muttered. "_Now_."

Serena raced to the nearest bush and plucked off half a dozen small, purplish berries. Kyra had pinned Adrian to the ground and there was a long scratch down the side of his face.

"Make her eat them," Adrian rasped, blood running down his face and neck.

Serena used her magic to knock Kyra off of Adrian. White ropes held Kyra down and Serena force-fed her berries. Kyra thrashed around for a bit before going limp and slumping to the ground.

Adrian sat up and gingerly pressed a hand to his cut. Serena removed the magic ropes and stared at him. "What was _that_?"

A heavy sigh escaped the boy. "Kyra is harnessing a demon."

Serena waved a hand impatiently. "Obviously. I meant the berries. What's with the berries?"

"They subdue the demon inside the Kyra. They're not available in the Kingdom and only grow in the Dark Land."

"Why aren't they available in the Kingdom?" Serena asked. "They seem like a useful fruit to have."

Adrian shrugged. "Kyra is a rare case. Hardly anyone in the Kingdom gets possessed by a demon. We don't know how the demon got inside of Kyra. She took full control one day and tried to kill me and Kyra's mother. The same day we got banished to the Dark Lands. Kyra was getting possessed more and more and the spells lasted longer. King Mickey could barely detain her, so how could I?

"When Kyra was still in control we came across these berries. We were so hungry that we didn't bother to think that they might be poisonous. We ate them, and for about three weeks the demon stayed docile. We came to the realization that it was the berries that did it. Kyra has been carrying a supply since then." He glanced at the unconscious girl and sighed. "But she must have run out, and with the arrival of you and her friends she forgot to stock up and have some."

Serena bit her lip. "We ought to get back to camp."

Adrian nodded silently and got up. He carried Kyra back to their camp and Serena was relieved to find her friends still sound asleep. Adrian set Kyra gently on the ground. "I'm going to collect some berries. I'll be back soon enough."

"But what about-?" Serena was about to voice concern for his injury but Adrian left before she could finish. Serena dropped to the ground, exhausted.

"I think I'll keep this little incident to myself," she muttered before finally falling asleep.

...

"Ew..." Leah shuddered and whacked a rather large spider off of her shoulder. "_Why _did I come here first?"

The thick jungle foliage made it difficult to navigate. And considering she was wearing heeled boots, it didn't make things any easier. "I really didn't think this through," Leah muttered and yelped when her foot got caught on a jutted root. "Ah, man!"

"Oh, goody. Lunch!"

Leah glanced up. A large snake was dangling from the branches above her head. Kaa grinned. "A tassssssty morsssssssssel. But you do look familiar. Have I tried to eat you before?"

The redhead smiled innocently. "Nope. Don't think so. I would have remembered. Sorry, but I gotta split." She whipped out the Essence-Sapper and pressed the trigger. A bolt of purple light struck the snake.

Kaa gasped as his body started to shut down on him. "What are you doing?" he hissed, struggling to remove himself.

Leah smiled. "I'm taking your essence. Have a nice day."

The purple light disappeared and Kaa dropped to the ground, seemingly dead. Leah cautiously approached him and felt for a pulse. It was there, but Kaa didn't seem like he would be moving anytime soon. It was like Kaa was in a coma.

"Pretty nifty," Leah remarked. "Alright, Shere Khan. I'm coming after ya. Here, kitty! Come to Leah!"

...

Max tried to calm the pounding of his heart. He was crouched in the bushes who-knows-where, and the demon was _still _after him. The creature was moving around in front of him, growling and snarling. The boy tried to be as quiet and still as possible.

The demon stumbled away and after a few minutes Max emerged from his hiding spot. "Phew," he breathed. "That was a close one. Now where am I?"

He glanced around the area and groaned. He didn't have a clue where he was. The castle was nowhere in sight and he _had _been running for an awful long time. Bushes, trees, and wilderness surrounded him. "Okay, I fell down a slope, ran past the farming villages, cut through a forest and ended up here to hide. Man, those track lessons really came in handy."

A horde of demons charged out of the surrounding trees. Max screamed in panic and looked desperately for an escape route.

"Need a hand?"

Startled, Max glanced up and grinned at none other than Peter Pan. "Yes please."

The forever-young boy grabbed Max's hand and lifted him into the air. The demons jumped and managed to claw at Max's leg before Peter lugged him to safety. Max winced as the blood trickled down his leg. "You have perfect timing."

Peter smiled. "I was actually coming to see if I could assist. The Lost Boys will be down soon enough."

Tinkerbell shot out from under Peter's hat and waved at Max. Max smiled. "Hey, Tinkerbell. Don't suppose you could spare some pixie dust?"

Tinkerbell trilled and golden dust floated gently onto Max. Peter let go and Max floated in the air with a relieved grin. "Thanks."

"No trouble at all. But what were you doing?" Peter asked.

"Well, my dad and I were looking for Huey, Dewey and Louie when I got cut off from him due to a demon attack. What about you? Shouldn't you be in Neverland?"

Peter grinned. "Those demons and shadows can't reach Neverland. We're all good."

Max thumped his forehead. "Oh, right. Duh. Well, if you go the castle, King Mickey will be glad to give you a job. He really needs all the help he can get."

"Where will you be going?" Peter questioned.

"Dad won't like it, but I'm going to do an aerial search for the triplets. I know you could do it better than me, but some of the lands could really use your pixie dust and help."

Peter shrugged. "If you say so. Be careful!" And he and Tinkerbell flew off.

Max glanced below him before flying off. If he was lucky, he would find the triplets before something bad happened.

...

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell had just left Mickey's office when Goofy rushed in the throne room, disheveled and panting. "Max is gone!" he blurted. "I can't find him anywhere!"

Minnie and Daisy gasped.

"We were lookin' for the triplets when demons attacked us. I got separated from Max and I don't know where he is," Goofy said frantically.

Donald groaned. "Great! Now we got four kids to look for!"

Mickey came out of his office when he heard the commotion and shook his head. "Goofy, Max is fine!"

"He is?" Goofy asked. "How do you know?"

"Peter Pan just told me that he rescued Max from demons and gave him some pixie dust. He's out in the skies looking for the triplets."

Goofy frowned in disapproval. "He shoulda told _me _that before doing anything."

"Max just wants to help," Minnie said gently. "And it's about time we started as well."

"Yeh heard the lass!" Scrooge bellowed. "Let's march!"

Goofy, Donald and Scrooge ran out of the room, hell-bent on saving their charges from the monsters that roamed the Kingdom. Minnie and Daisy grabbed some weapons from the sword room and headed after the males.

"Be careful," Mickey called. "Try not to get into the thick of things!"

Daisy and Minnie waved their hands dismissively and left the throne room. Mickey shook his head and went to retrieve his Sorcerer's Hat.

He disarmed the security system and walked up to the glass case. He used his magic to lift it up and he held the midnight blue Sorcerer's Hat in his hands.

He was the King. And no one messed with his Kingdom while he was in charge.

_No one_.


	11. The Professor Has Arrived

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**The Professor Has Arrived**

Ludwig Von Drake was extremely relieved to be on castle grounds. He wasn't happy, however, to see that the golden gate had been mangled beyond repair and that those vile Dark creatures were stumbling towards the Disney castle.

"Ack!" He scowled when a demon grabbed his leg and attempted to drag him down. "Let go, let go, ya nasty little thing!" He swatted it over the head with his rolled-up blueprints and wrenched free. He picked up the pace and kept alert. "Hmm, perhaps I oughta have brought an extra flashlight."

"_Stop right there!_"

A blinding light enveloped him and the scientist squinted. "Vot's goin' on here? I'm a professor, ya know! Summoned here by his Majesty! I got papers and I'm not afraid ta use them!" Ludwig waved his documents in the air warningly.

"Uncle Ludwig?" The light swung to the side. When the fuzziness left his vision Ludwig was greeted with the sight of his nephew, Donald.

"Donald, my boy!" Ludwig shook his wing happily. "Good ta see you're still alive."

"Uh, you too." Donald glanced at the approaching demons and hastily ushered his uncle towards the castle. "What's in the box?"

"Knick-knacks and oddities," Ludwig said cheerfully, keeping the box firmly under his right wing and carrying his blueprints with his left. "I have come up vith a genius plan!"

Donald rolled his eyes. Considering he was a subject to most of Ludwig's experiments, he could say that his uncle's plan would either end in disaster or miraculously work. The projects were always a hit and miss.

"Professor Ludwig," Mickey greeted, adjusting the Hat on his head. "I was worried something had happened."

"I vold have been here sooner, but I got held up. Darn demons vandalized my automobile. _Ya owe me on car insurance!_" Ludwig hollered to the horde of Dark creatures. Mickey hastily pulled the scientist into his castle and shut the door firmly.

"Professor, you are welcome to use anything my lab has to offer," Mickey said as the three made their way to the basement/laboratory. "If I may ask, what is your plan?"

Ludwig kicked open the door to the lab and ushered them inside. He eagerly unfolded his blueprints and thrust them out. "The Purifier!" he exclaimed dramatically. "Dis little device here vill suck out de evil energy from de Kingdom. Vith all evil gone, de barrier vill have no choice but ta repair itself."

"Anything is worth a shot," Mickey agreed. "But there's an awful lot of evil, Professor. Where are you going to get the magic to power your machine?"

"I heard through de grapevine dat little Tracy has de gift of Magic," Ludwig said in a whisper. "Very strong magic at dat!"

"That sounds doable. You create your machine and when you're ready I'll contact the _Legacy _and tell them to bring Tracy back here," Mickey decided. "I'll be here to protect the castle. If anything goes severely wrong in the other lands, however, I'll have to leave."

"No problemo!" Ludwig said confidently as he unpacked the box. "I have everything under control!"

Donald shook his head. "I'm sure," he muttered. "Well, I'm off. Maybe I'll see you later."

"You _will _see us later," Mickey corrected. Donald rolled his eyes and took off. "Good luck, Professor."

"Good luck ta ya too, your Majesty."

...

Are yeh crazy?" Long John Silver demanded the second Tracy landed on the ship. "Yeh could 'ave bin killed!"

Tracy shrugged. "But I didn't. And New York is safe. Sometimes you gotta take risks."

"It was a pretty clever idea," Jim spoke up.

"A stupid idea," Delbert said under his breath, not looking up from the navigation charts. Captain Amelia pointed a finger at the blonde.

"You are not the only person in this crew, child," Amelia said sharply. "Whatever risks you take, you calculate if they will benefit your crew. If you were killed, where would that leave the rest of us?"

"Screwed," Tracy admitted. "Sorry. I'll try to think next time."

"If that's not too much trouble," Amelia's voice dripped with sarcasm. She returned to the wheel. Morph nestled on Jim's shoulder and chirped happily.

"You don't think that was a stupid idea, do you Morph?" Tracy cooed.

Morph happily zoomed around her body before settling in her hair. Jim laughed. Tracy grinned. "Didn't think so."

"Where's our next heading?" Jim asked.

"Hundred Acre Wood," Amelia said crisply. "We received an urgent distress call from the inhabitants while Adams was off being reckless."

Tracy itched to hop on the solar-board and hightail it to the Hundred Acre Wood. But the crew wouldn't appreciate it (Jim might find it amusing) and so she gripped the wooden rails and braced herself for action.

The Hundred Acre Wood came into view five minutes later. Tracy grabbed the solar board and turned to stare at Captain Amelia. "May I please go help them?" she asked dryly.

"You may," Amelia said stiffly. "We'll stay here and hold back those creatures with the cannons."

Tracy saluted her and jumped ship. The wind whipped through her blonde hair as she flew past the dozens of trees.

_Where are those guys?_

Just as soon as the question formed it was answered. Christopher Robin's home, located at the edge of the wood, was being overrun with demons and shadows, both attempting to break into the home. Tracy scowled and fired off a blast of magic. The demons exploded into dust and the shadows fizzled away. Tracy did not stop her attack until every demon and shadow had been destroyed.

The door slowly creaked open. "Tracy?" Christopher Robin asked softly.

"Hey, kiddo!" Tracy smiled warmly. "They're gone, but I'm not sure for how long."

"I thought we were gonna die." Eeyore said morosely as he poked his head between Christopher Robin's legs.

"Woo-hoo!" Tigger jumped on Tracy and they both somersaulted. "I knew ya would save us! Hoo-hoo!"

"Tigger!" Rabbit snapped. "Give her some room!"

"Yeah," Piglet agreed, cowering behind Pooh's leg. "She needs to save us some more."

"Relax," Tracy soothed. "You guys will be fine. Is anyone hurt?"

"No. But we are all out of honey," Pooh said with a heavy sigh.

Tracy grinned. Yeah, they were all right.

Now, how to _keep _them all right?

"Is everyone here?" Tracy asked.

Christopher Robin nodded timidly. He could hear more demons crashing through the woods. Tracy pursed her lips in thought. "Do you have lanterns?"

"Yes, but we were using them to fend those terrible creatures off," Kanga answered, stroking Roo's fur comfortingly.

"I have an idea. Can I have them?"

Rabbit returned with an armful of lanterns. Tracy lined them up on the ground and formed a ball of magic. It cast a silvery shadow around the woods. "Pretty," Roo whispered in awe.

Tracy lit up the lanterns with her magic. Christopher Robin helped her hang them around his house. A bright, dazzling light illuminated the house and a large portion of the area around it. Tracy pumped her fist. "And you guys won't be having any more problems."

"That's really cool," Christopher said with a grin.

A crowd of demons charged from the trees. Tracy pushed Christopher Robin inside and slammed the door shut. She hopped on her solar-board and flew into the air, out of reach but close enough to see if her idea would work.

The second a demon or shadow stepped into the radius of light it evaporated. Content that her woodland pals were safe, she hollered goodbye and zoomed back to the ship.

"Gee, this is easy. I don't know why Mickey is so paranoid."

...

"This is insane!" Serena hissed as she blasted a Toxin. "Mickey is crazy if he thinks I'm going to survive this!"

The Toxin roared and a spray of acid shot towards her. Serena dove to the ground and Robin and Kyra each shot an arrow into its eye. The Toxin screamed in pain before collapsing. Adrian helped Serena to her feet. His cut was still visible but he had explained as a Hound attack during a restless late-night walk.

Kyra was silent from the start of the walk and during the battle with the Toxin that ambushed me. She knew she had been taken over once more and felt sick to her stomach. Serena didn't let the girl know that _she _knew about her possession.

"How much further?" Serena panted.

"Not very far," Adrian answered. "We'll reach the caves by late afternoon."

Serena could not help but wonder if they were heading into disaster.

_Oh please, of course we are! _her rational side yelled at her.

Serena swallowed thickly. If they were walking towards their doom, then she might as well prepare herself for it.

...

"Ecthros..."

The servant was by his side in an instant. "Yes, my Lord?"

Odotherex pressed his fingers together, blood red eyes focussed on the horizon before him. "I believe we may need to make a slight change in plans."

"Sir?"

"That idiot has his female henchmen doing the dirty work. I'll admit I expected him to go charging into the Kingdom by now. He is still hiding out. But the Chosen One is closing in quickly."

"The girl from the Outside World?"

"Yes. She has a small troop of comrades. They are intending to eliminate Malovent from the picture. And while I could care less about his meager existence, he is a key part in my own plans. He shares a bond with those little girls in his servitude. If he is destroyed, they will know instantly. And with their master no longer in control of them they will see no need to continue his orders and do their own bidding. Their bidding is not my bidding, Ecthros."

"What may I do?" Ecthros asked.

"I need you to lure the Chosen One away from her comrades. I sense that she will be a dire threat to me if we continue to let her live. And I can already see enough roadblocks gathering on my path to success. We must get rid of these roadblocks one at a time. We shall start with the one who has foolishly come into our Land willingly."

"I will destroy Serena Lockhart for you, my Lord." Ecthros bowed, his heart thumping madly. Serena Lockhart had been selected to bear the gift of Magic. This deemed her a being of purity. To destroy a being of purity would mean a tragic afterlife.

But the orders had been given.

Serena Lockhart must die.


	12. When Dark Creatures Attack

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**When Dark Creatures Attack**

"B.E.N.!" Tracy hissed, trying in vain to pry the overly affectionate robot off of her. "Buddy, it's great to see you, but you're breaking my shoulder!" She cast a desperate glance at Jim, who was observing them in amusement. "Isn't he supposed to be in the brig or something?"

"The brig is where you belong," Delbert said under his breath a few feet away.

Tracy scowled. She opened her mouth to retort when her blue gaze fell upon a hulking figure rocketing towards them. "_What is that?_"

"Fire the cannons!" Amelia roared, jerking the wheel to the right. The cannons fired and Tracy unleashed a bolt of magic but the figure dodged the attacks. It let out a shrill shriek and dive-bombed the _Legacy_.

"Hit the deck!" Tracy cried. Everyone flung themselves to the deck of the ship as the figure slammed into the side of the _Legacy_. Tracy caught a fleeting glance of a large black hawk with sharp fangs and red eyes before it reared back to attack again.

"We're gonna die!" B.E.N cried in panic. "Jimmy, buddy, I love you!"

"Some orders would be nice, Captain!" Tracy hollered as the bird shot towards them again.

Amelia gritted her teeth. "Brace yourselves and be ready to launch a full-on attack when it pulls back."

The hawk crashed into them again. Tracy shrieked as she lost her footing and toppled over the side of the ship. Jim tried to grab her but it was no use. The blonde plummeted towards the grassy ground below.

And it wouldn't be a soft impact.

Tracy squeezed her eyes shut. _I can't believe it's going to end like this!_

A few agonizing seconds passed. Nothing happened. Slowly, Tracy opened her eyes.

She was floating. The ground was a few inches away from her nose. Tracy let out a moan of relief. "Magic can make me fly. Should have known."

Cautiously she flipped upright. It was pretty much like flying with pixie dust. Tracy grinned and glanced up. Her grin faltered when she spotted the strange hawk creature coming for her. "I'm out of here."

She flew rapidly through the sky. She tried shooting the bird but her aim was off. And even if she did manage to hit the thing it would crash in one of the small farming villages. Tracy searched for a place where she could fire the bird down without harming anyone.

The sparkling surface of the ocean could be seen on the horizon. And as far as Tracy could tell, it wasn't Atlantica.

She halted in the air and whirled around. The hawk was speeding towards her. Tracy narrowed her eyes and unleashed as much magic as she could on the foreign creature. The bird jerked and shrieked in agony before going still and crashing into the water.

Tracy watched in awe as the bird started evaporating. "What _is _that thing?"

"A Dark Creature."

The blonde screamed in surprise. Max Goof flew back a bit and held up his hands. "Whoa! Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," Tracy breathed. "What are you doing here? And what did you say that thing was?"

"It's a Dark Creature. We learn about the Dark Lands in school and from what I remember from the descriptions you just battled a Fanged Hawk."

"What are Dark Creatures doing in the Kingdom?" Tracy demanded.

Max arched an eyebrow. "The barrier broke, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Can't believe I forgot that. And you didn't tell me what you were doing here." Tracy crossed her arms. "I don't think Goofy would let his only child out and about during a war."

Max grinned sheepishly. "I'm definitely in trouble when my dad gets his hands on me. But we got more important matters to deal with."

"You're telling me," Tracy said dryly.

"Listen before making snippy remarks. Scrooge McDuck came to the castle to tell us that Huey, Dewey and Louie were missing. They're not at the mansion and they're not at the castle. I'm assuming that they went out to help or they stumbled upon something," Max explained. "Dad and I went to see if we could find them when a demon attacked us. We got separated and Peter Pan ended up saving me. Tinkerbell spared some pixie dust and I decided to do an aerial search to see if I could find the triplets."

Tracy whistled. "Sheesh. I guess I missed a lot. I'm guessing you didn't have any luck finding them?"

Max shook his head. "I spotted you from across the ocean just as you took down that Fanged Hawk. I figured I would fill you in on what's going on."

"I appreciate it. Has Mickey come up with a solution for this mess?" Tracy asked. "I mean, I can only do so much."

"I think he called in Professor Von Drake to come up with something," Max said. "Hopefully he reached the castle by now."

"Hopefully," Tracy agreed. "Well, I lost my _Legacy _crew. I'll look for the triplets while I defend the lands. You want to help?"

"I don't know how much good I can do but I definitely don't want to be out here alone." Max smiled. "So Chief, where are we going next?"

Tracy squinted at the blur of greenery in the distance. "What jungle is that?"

"The jungles of India," Max answered.

"Then that's our heading, Partner."

The two teens flew over to the jungle shore. Tracy shivered as growls echoed throughout the trees. "That's creepy."

Max glanced up and froze. "That's even creepier."

Tracy followed his gaze and gaped. A large, thick black and red snake was curled in the branches above. Its yellow eyes were fixed upon them and a string of green venom dripped from its fangs. She managed to tackle Max to the ground a second before the snake snapped out at them. Tracy hastily killed it with her magic and watched it evaporate. "And that was...?"

"A Cobra," Max answered as he climbed warily to his feet. "One bite and you die instantly."

"How adorable," Tracy drawled sarcastically. "Let's find Mowgli before another one shows up."

"When I was flying over I saw Mowgli and the other humans in the village. But I didn't see Baloo and his crowd," Max informed.

Tracy hummed in thought. She created a sphere of magic and watched it hover above the palm of her hand. "Take it."

Max's eyes widened. "What?"

"Take it."

Hesitantly Max reached out and touched the sphere. A soft tingle ran down his arm. He took the sphere in both hands and grinned. "It gives me a warm feeling inside."

"It should. You're hardly a Dark being." Tracy smiled. "Go to the village and put that sphere in one of the torches. I guarantee that it will shine brighter than anything you've ever seen before."

"What will you do?"

"I'll head to Baloo's party temple," Tracy said matter-of-factly. "Where else?"

Max watched as the blonde took off through the trees. With a heavy sigh he started for the village. "What did I get myself into?"

…

Tracy carefully climbed through the bushes and peered at the temple. It was oddly silent and she couldn't see any demons or shadows. She went to the temple and walked in.

"_There's another one!_"

About a few dozen torches were turned on her at once. Tracy squeezed her eyes shut and threw up her hands. "I come in peace!"

"Geez!" Baloo and the other animals lowered their torches. "Don't scare us like that, kid."

"Sorry. I came to see how things were going." Tracy glanced around. "It looks like you're doing pretty well."

Bagheera limped forward. "As well as we can, I suppose. A few scratches and bites here and there, but nothing to serious."

"Glad to hear it," Tracy said sincerely. She removed a spare wooden torch from the wall and snapped her fingers. The torch immediately started sparkling with silver flames. The entire temple was lit up with a white light. "A magic torch-more effective than fire." Tracy grinned at their baffled expressions. "I've learned some tricks along the way."

"Not bad kid," Baloo marvelled. "Think you can do the same for Little Britches?"

"Max Goof is taking care of the villagers," Tracy assured him. "And I better go find him before something happens."

"Be careful," Bagheera cautioned. "And don't do anything stupid."

"Yeah, yeah." Tracy waved her hand dismissively and hurried to find Max. She stumbled through the jungle and tripped over something thick. She hit the ground with a _thump _and moaned. "Okay, that was smooth." She got to her feet and glanced to see what she tripped over. "_AAGGHH!_"

She scrambled backwards and hit a tree trunk. She stared at the limp form of Kaa in shock. "What the...?"

She moved forward cautiously and pressed two fingers against his pulse. It was beating. _But why does Kaa look like he's dead?_

The bushes exploded behind her and Tracy whirled around. Max panted as he stopped beside her. "Tracy! You'll never believe what I-" He broke off when he saw Kaa.

"Shere Khan is in the same state, isn't he?" Tracy guessed.

"Yeah. But how did it happen?" Max bent down and examined the snake.

Tracy bit her lip as she recalled Hen-Wen's vision. "Looks like we have something else to investigate. We're going to make a stop at the castle and let Mickey know what we found. Then we'll continue our rounds."

"Do you think they'll ever wake up?" Max asked as they started to fly away.

"We need to hope so. The Kingdom has a delicate balance-and the Kingdom villains are a crucial part of it."

...

Leah was ecstatic. Never before did she think she could defeat any Disney Villain. But here she was, taking them down one by one. And all it took was a twitch of her finger.

The girl looked at the canister attached to Sara's invention. It was rapidly filling with the villains' essences. She had taken on Prince John, Yzma, Morgana, Gaston and a few others.

The redhead walked through the empty city of Agrabah and through the destroyed castle gates. She halted upon seeing demons and shadows swarming the front of the palace and quickly walked around to the side. "It's getting nasty out here," Leah muttered.

She walked towards a window that looked into the throne room. She pressed against the glass and whistled. "Wow. Talk about chaos."

Demons were crawling across the tiled floor and towards the group of fighters. The Royal Guards, Jasmine, Abu, Genie, Carpet and even the Sultan were doing everything they can to keep the beasts at bay. Leah pushed the window open a little bit.

"We can't keep them back much longer!" Jasmine cried in panic, using a sword to slice off a demon's head.

"We need to protect the people," Sultan said determinedly. "These creatures do not set one foot on those stairs."

Genie created a bowling ball out of magic and knocked out ten demons. "I think they're multiplying by the dozen!"

"Stop complaining and keep fighting!"

And there he was.

The tall, intimidating form of Jafar strode to the center of the group. He raised his staff the demon in front of him got sliced into little pieces. Leah winced. "Ugh..."

The windows on the other side of the throne room shattered. More demons spilled in along with some shadows. Lights danced and swords sprung to life. Leah took advantage of this fresh invasion and climbed through the window. She crawled across the floor and hid behind the throne. She peeked out and spotted Jafar dismantling demons like they were puzzles.

"Say goodnight," Leah whispered softly and raised her ray.

Suddenly Jafar whipped around and sent a blast in her direction. The throne exploded into thousands of pieces. "You!" he cried.

Leah beamed. "Hiya. Nice to see you again."

Before anyone could react further she pressed the trigger on her ray. The purple blast hit Jafar and his body jerked before crumpling to the ground. "Bye!"

"_Hey!_" Jasmine shouted as the girl bolted back out the window. She went to go after her but another wave of demons hit. "What did she do?!"

Razoul bent down and checked Jafar's pulse. "He's alive, but I don't think he'll be moving anytime soon."

"I can't believe I'm saying this but we need him!"

"We can't do much about it now," Sultan said tiredly. "Razoul, bring him to where the others are. It won't do any good to have him devoured by these beasts."

Jasmine shuddered.

And to think, life in the Kingdom had once been so pleasant.

...

Serena and her troops were about halfway to the caves when the shadows attacked.

They came out of nowhere, hissing and dark claws reaching out for them. Serena fumbled in her bag and removed the flashlights she had brought along.

"What's going on?" Iago snapped, flying high.

"Lord Odotherex is attacking," Kyra snapped, swinging her flashlight around. "Or his minion is, anyway."

Serena fired off as much magic as she could but the shadows were pouring in. One of them snaked out from the trees and grabbed her shadow's ankle. With a scream Serena crashed to the ground and got dragged through the trees.

"_SERENA!_"

The girl heard the calls but not who uttered them. She twisted around and blasted the shadow. It disappeared but was quickly replaced with another one. Serena moaned in fear and braced herself as she was pulled through a set of thick bushes.

The shadows gathered around her in a circle. Serena slowly got to her feet and eyed the person a few feet away.

A boy about eighteen with dark brown hair stood before her. His stance was cautious and alert. An army of shadows stood behind him. "How do you do, Serena Lockhart?"

Serena clenched her fists. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Very well. I am Ecthros. And I'm sorry to say that you won't be making it any further."


	13. Knight of Renaissance Light

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Theodore, Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**Knight of Renaissance Light**

If there was one thing Mickey found easy it was keeping calm. In order to be a competent ruler he believed said ruler should be able to tackle anything with a certain calmness about them. That being said, there were some occasions where a ruler was allowed to go crazy with emotion.

This was one of those times.

The great King of the Disney Kingdom was taking demons and shadows down left and right. The Hat enhanced his weakening magic but it wouldn't work for long. "My Kingdom has merged with the Dark Lands," Mickey growled as zapped a shadow into oblivion. "I'm being overwhelmed with reports from various Lands, the triplets and Max are missing and the magic is starting to get erased from the Kingdom. What else could go wrong?"

"Mickey!" Minnie came rushing towards him with a concerned expression. "I just got a message from Captain Amelia. She says that Tracy was knocked from the ship when a Fanged Hawk attacked. She managed to fly away but the Hawk went after her. They haven't seen Tracy since."

"My fault for asking," Mickey muttered under his breath. Louder he said, "Donald and Goofy left to find their charges. I can't leave Ludwig in the castle alone."

"Daisy and I will be with him," Minnie assured him. "And we got enough flashlights to defend ourselves with."

Mickey hesitated. "Alright. I'll go see if I can find her. Who knows, if I leave maybe these beasts won't find any other reason to continue attacking the castle."

"Worth a shot," Minnie agreed. She kissed him on the cheek. "Be careful."

"You too." Mickey smiled warmly at her before striding off.

He had barely passed the farming village when his blonde charge arrived with Max behind her. "This is a pleasant surprise."

Tracy grinned tiredly. "I'm surprised I'm alive to."

Max peered at the rundown village and whistled. "What happened to these poor people?"

"They took refuge in other lands," Mickey said with a sigh. "The shadows hit the castle right off the bat. The villages evacuated immediately. But never mind that for the moment. You need to go back to the _Legacy_."

"No way Jose," Tracy said flatly. "I didn't want their help to begin with and I have more important things to do than go hunting for them again."

"You can't leave them defenseless!"

"They're in a flying ship. They are the safest out of everyone in this Kingdom," Tracy pointed out. "Sorry, but I'm going solo. I'll deal with the consequences later. Come on Max."

"I thought you said you were going solo!" Max protested.

"Well, I'm going solo with a partner."

"Hold on a minute," Mickey interrupted. "Goofy wouldn't want Max-"

"No, I want to help. And I guess I'll deal with the consequences later as well." Max smiled apologetically. "Tell Dad I'm fine."

Mickey rubbed his forehead. There was nothing he could do to convince them otherwise. "You can be certain there will be consequences later. But if you're going to fly off I suggest you head to Agrabah."

"Got it. Oh! I almost forgot the whole reason I came looking for you for. I don't know how it's happening, but the villains are getting knocked down one by one."

Mickey furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"They look like their dead but they're not," Tracy tried to explain. When Mickey still seemed confused she bent down and whispered, "Like the prophecy said."

"Ah." Mickey cleared his throat. "I see. I know you have a lot on your plate-"

"But see if I can find out what is causing this," Tracy finished. "I hear you. Let's go, Max. We got a lot of work to do."

"Be careful," Mickey cautioned. "And I'll be sure to warn the villains of this new development."

"You too." Tracy smiled and flew off. She and Max were off to Agrabah.

...

"Uh..." Max drawled as he stared at the demon infested city. "Agrabah used to look a lot more pleasant."

"I'm getting tired of this," Tracy muttered as she and Max surveyed the commotion from the rooftops. "I mean, I'm glad to be helping the lands, don't get me wrong, but if we could cut this whole thing completely it would be wonderful."

"That's what Serena is supposed to be doing, as much as I've heard," Max pointed out.

"I wonder how she's doing," Tracy mused. "Huh. Come on, we better get over there before the palace collapses. And if Jafar is still up and moving then we ought to warn him."

...

Serena was going to die.

As she looked at all the shadows surrounding her she knew her magic could only take out a quarter of them at a time. And then there was Ecthros, master of shadows, who could summon them just as fast as she could take them out.

_Anything is worth a shot_, Serena thought.

She locked eyes with Ecthros and shot a blast of magic at him. He snapped his fingers and a shadow appeared in front of them and took the blast meant for him. "It was a good try." Ecthros said sincerely. "And I admire your determination. But I'm afraid some things must end sooner than they ought."

He snapped his fingers again and the shadows converged, dozen after dozen. Heart pounding in her chest Serena fired blast after blast, but it was no use. There were simply too many.

A shadow pulled her to the ground and others started to swarm over her. Ecthros turned his head away.

_Fwoosh!_

Serena squeezed her eyes shut at the blinding light. White spots exploded in her vision and the shadows hissed in agony before they all dissolved in a great black mist. Ecthros flinched in pain and steeled himself as the light gave one more pulse before dying out.

"I...don't think that was me." Serena said dazedly. She climbed slowly to her feet and stared in shock at the new arrival.

He had green/brown eyes and dark brown hair. He wore diamond-coloured armour and there was a sheath attached to his hip.

He looked extremely like Ecthros.

Confused, she turned to stare at Ecthros. He was gone. "I am so lost right now."

"I would be happy to explain as much as possible," the mysterious man said kindly. "Greetings. I am the Knight of Renaissance Light. But that is my formal title. You may call me Theodore, if you would like."

"Serena Lockhart," the puzzled girl introduced. "Uh, Guardian of the Disney Kingdom."

"It is very nice to meet your acquaintance."

"Thanks. Um...I don't mean to be rude but I really am confused right now."

Theodore smiled. "Understandable. I suppose your first question is why I resemble Ecthros so much."

"Yeah, and now my second question is how do you know who Ecthros is?" Serena replied.

"Ecthros is my Heartless."

Serena remembered the Disney video game she used to play. _Kingdom Hearts_ or something like that. "Okay, I sort of get that."

"I know Ecthros because I have travelling through many worlds to bring him and his master Lord Odotherex to justice."

"Whoa, whoa. Did you say you've been _travelling _through many worlds?"

Theodore smiled. "Is it really hard to believe? You came from the Real World to the Disney World, did you not?"

"And you know _that _how?"

"You have been chosen to bear the gift of Magic. It is the highest mark of purity. I know all about beings of purity," Theodore explained. "I sensed unbalance in this world and I would have come sooner, but I'm afraid some events had to occur before I could intervene. That's just how it is."

"Okay," Serena said slowly. "Have you been to this world before?"

"Before you arrived, yes. I took a one-month training period with Genie to harness my magic. He is the only one who knows of my existence so far in this world."

"And now I know." Serena could hardly believe this was happening. "But wait, if Ecthros is your Heartless, then why does he look to be about eighteen?"

"We are eighteen," Theodore confirmed. "It is simply that this suit allows me to look and sound more mature to meet the satisfactory of politicians."

"Fancy," Serena remarked. She was beginning to feel more at ease with this newcomer. "Thank you for saving me, by the way. You sure came at the right time."

"No need to thank me. And this was prophesied, was it not?"

Serena's eyes widened. The prophecy! "Oh yeah! I can't believe I forgot that."

"You had quite a lot on your mind. But you need not worry. I am here to help." Theodore smiled at her. "Let us go find your friends."

Serena followed after the mysterious man. If she was lucky, the arrival of Theodore would be the last surprise she would encounter on this journey.


	14. Power of Speculation

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Theodore, Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**Power of Speculation**

"So, Theodore," Serena spoke as she and her new friend moved through the dark forest. "Where do you come from?"

"The Real World, same as you." Theodore smiled. "If you'd like me to be more specific, I come from America, along the Eastern Coast in the area of Manasquan. And please, you can call me Ted, if you'd like. "

"Okay, Ted." Serena grinned. "How do you know Lord Odotherex?"

"We have quite the history. I first encountered him and Ecthros in the Real World, where they also come from. I realized my destiny after this battle and left to ensure that the balance of all worlds is stable. I believed I had killed Odotherex, but he proved to be more cunning than I thought him to be. I've been pursuing him ever since," Ted explained.

"Odotherex has tried taking over other worlds?" Serena asked in surprise.

"Of course. He's attempting to build up an army so he-" Ted paused. "I apologize, but I'm afraid there are some things I cannot reveal. But the priority is to ensure that Odotherex does not succeed in accomplishing his goals."

"There's something I don't understand." Serena frowned. "If Lord Odotherex could travel to any world, why come to the world that holds the most purity?"

Ted laughed. "I ask myself the same question. I think Odotherex underestimated the amount of pure power in this world. Since he is quite powerful, he didn't feel the harmful effects until it was too late. I assume that it was during his battle with Mickey when he realized the toll the pure magic was taking on him. He would have travelled to another world, but I don't think he had enough energy to do so. The only other option was the Dark Lands, where he's been staying to recuperate."

"If you know all this, and I think you know a lot more, then why didn't you come and get him when this happened?" Serena asked.

"I only know what I am privileged to see. And you must understand, once Odotherex entered this world, I could do nothing. It has always been prophesied that you and your friend would enter the Disney Kingdom."

Serena's green eyes widened in realization. "You mean...Tracy and I were _meant _to come here and do all of this?"

"Yes."

Baffled, Serena stayed silent for the rest of the walk. They came upon a small clearing in the forest, where Serena's crew was resting, bruised and battered.

"You're alive!" Iago exclaimed, flying onto her shoulder.

Serena managed a smile. "Barely. It's all thanks to Ted."

Robin ruffled Serena's dark hair and glanced at Ted in puzzlement. "Where did he come from?"

Hesitating, Serena glanced at Ted. The boy smiled. "I came from a different world, comrade. I am here to help as much as I can."

"This is getting weird," Aladdin rubbed his face tiredly. "People are popping out of thin air and I'm getting beaten up by shadows."

Serena snorted. "Out of everything that's happened so far, those things are what bother you the most?"

"Uh-"

"Never mind." Serena waved her hand. "Is everyone alright?"

"Sore as heck, but we'll survive." Kyra got up from the cold ground and stretched. "We're ready to move."

"Speak for yourself," Hercules muttered. "I think a shadow broke my rib."

Serena rolled her eyes. "This is a minor setback-"

"_A _minor _setback?_"

"Shut up, Iago!" Serena snapped. "We need to keep moving. We have to find Malovent and finish this. Lord Odotherex will be tough, and we need to be extremely careful on how we approach him. Kyra, how much further?"

"Just a few more miles," Kyra answered.

"Then let's get moving." Serena marched forwards, and after a moment everyone else followed her.

With a pounding heart Serena pushed the dry tree branches out of her way. She stumbled over roots and it wasn't long before she could see a break in the trees.

"Hold on," Adrian commanded. "I'm going to take a look. For all we know we could be set up for another ambush."

"Be careful," Kyra cautioned. Adrian nodded sharply and set off towards the wide, gaping mouths of the caves. Serena bit her lip and tensed.

Nobody spoke a word. The sky glowed menacingly, its red light shining down on them. A tree branch cracked and Serena jumped.

"Take it easy, will ya?" Iago whispered.

"It's hard to do so when I just might be fighting a guy who can summon demons by the hundreds!" Serena hissed.

"He's coming back," Kyra said sharply. Everyone stared at Adrian as he jogged back.

"There's no one there," he announced.

"Well, that's a bit anti-climatic," Iago snorted.

"I didn't think he would be," Ted muttered. Serena rubbed her forehead, agreeing with her fellow guardian. Why would Malovent stay hidden when the barrier had broken?

"Do you think he's in the Kingdom?" Serena asked.

"I wouldn't think so." Kyra bit her lip in thought. "I'm taking a guess here, but I think he's lingering where the barrier used to be."

"Why do you say that?" Aladdin asked as they all turned around and went back the way they came.

"I'm not kidding when I say Leah makes a lot of noise. If we haven't heard her yet, then that means she's not in the Lands. She and Sara can withstand the purity a lot better than most of the inhabitants in here can. They were born in the Kingdom, so they have resistance to it, but they will forever abide by Kingdom laws," Kyra explained.

"So Sara and Leah must be in the Kingdom, doing whatever Malovent ordered them to do, and he's waiting," Adrian finished.

Serena pulled at her raven hair in frustration. "We came all this way, and get ambushed by deadly creatures, only to have to start over? Do you know how far the barrier stretched when it was stable? We don't have that kind of time!"

"Do you have any bright ideas?" Iago snapped.

"And if you do, none of them can be finding Odotherex and taking him on," Ted said firmly. "Here, he's in his element. If you're even going to have a _chance _at beating him, he needs to be in the Kingdom."

"But the Kingdom is running out of magic!" Serena shrieked. "The Dark Lands has merged with it! I don't see how-"

"Trust me."

Serena stared into his green/brown eyes. He knew more than she ever could, Serena knew that. And even though she just met this guy, she was going to have to trust that he knew what he was doing. "Okay. We continue looking for Malovent. And if he beats us into the Kingdom?"

"We go after him," Hercules said matter-of-factly.

Serena played with the locket Mickey had given her. The pendent had allowed her into the Dark Lands, and Mickey said she would know when it was time to leave.

"Come on, let's keep moving," Kyra ordered.

Serena followed along behind them, thinking hard. A sudden thought had struck her.

What if she was never meant to find Malovent in the Dark Lands? Maybe the reason she had been sent into the Lands was to meet Kyra and Adrian. She was naive and trusting, she could admit that. Tracy would have been cynical upon meeting two strangers in the land of evil.

But she had accepted them. She had trusted them. And when she found out about Kyra's demon, she stuck with them.

_Maybe I'm the one who can cure Kyra._

For some reason, she looked at Ted when the thought crossed her mind. He caught her gaze, and smiled knowingly.

Serena swallowed and stared at the ground. She wasn't sure if she was correct in her assumptions, but considering what fate had been throwing at her and Tracy, it wouldn't be surprising.

...

Tracy and Max hovered over the palace grounds. Thick masses of demons were pouring in, and Tracy wondered how the people inside had managed to fight for so long. Max stared at the broken windows and torn up gardens. "This is depressing..."

"Tell me about it," Tracy muttered. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It would take a _lot _magic to destroy this crowd of beasts.

The magic swelled inside her and warmth flared in her stomach. She could feel her hands tingling with heat and she concentrated. Max let out a yelp of surprise as a giant burst of silver magic slammed into the grounds. He turned away from the light and waited until the blast had dimmed. "You took them all out!"

"Yeah...I did," Tracy said dizzily. "Note to self...don't use up...so much magic...at once." She tumbled to the ground and Max quickly grabbed the blonde by the arm.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed. He paused as the weightless feeling left his body. "Uh...the pixie dust ran out."

They both yelped as the hit the ground, tumbling. Max moaned and gingerly got to his feet, wiping off the dirt. "Sorry, I tried."

"You get points for the attempted rescue." Tracy got to her feet and arched her back. "Alright, let's go see how the people are."

The two teens climbed through a broken window and into the throne room. Immediately they were swept into a hug by Genie. "You little pudding, you! Saving our behinds like that! You're growing up so fast!"

"It was nothing," Tracy rasped. "How are you guys?"

"Alive, surprisingly." Jasmine wiped the blood from her face. "You came just in the nick of time. We are very grateful."

"We're more than grateful!" Genie exclaimed. He set the kids down and bowed to them.

Tracy laughed. "I'm glad I can help." She created the trusty magic sphere and handed it to Jasmine. The princess stared at it in awe.

"Genie, can you do this?"

"I can, but not with that much power put into it." Genie mock-pouted. "The squirt is upstaging me and it's humiliating."

"I'm just awesome like that." Tracy smiled. "Is Jafar around?"

"He was," Jasmine sighed. "But then this girl ran in, shot Jafar with some sort of gun, and he just collapsed. The strange thing is that he looks like he's dead, but he isn't. It's like his spirit was sucked out or something."

Tracy's blue eyes widened. "Hey, I think that's it!"

"What's it?" everyone asked.

"I don't have time to explain it to everyone. Max, come on." Tracy grabbed Max by the hand and flew into the air with renewed energy. "Keep the sphere and you'll have no more trouble."

"What's it?" Max repeated as Tracy flew at top speed.

"Did you hear what Jasmine said? _It's_ _like his spirit was sucked out or something. _The villains we've seen, they _looked _dead, but they weren't. I didn't know how to describe their appearance until Jasmine said that. It seems like the most crucial part of them has been taken!" Tracy exclaimed.

Max thought this over. "You mean their very villainy?"

"Yes! Jasmine said a girl shot Jafar with a ray gun and he collapsed. What if this girl is collecting the...the..." Tracy struggled to think of the word, "the _essences _of the villains?"

"But for what purpose?" Max asked in surprise.

"I don't know. To be honest, I don't know who would be smart enough to create such a device. Maybe Malovent or Lord Odotherex?"

"Well..." Max said slowly. "It's mandatory for the youth of the Kingdom to study Dark History when we reach high school. There's this girl named Sara who got banished a while ago for trying to suck the magic out of the Magic Bearers."

"And that's very similar to what's happening to the villains," Tracy mused. "But what is she going to use the essences for?"

"I'm clutching at straws here," Max warned, "but Professor Ludwig is creating a machine that will harness the remaining magic and emphasise its power. What if this Sara girl, assuming she is the cause of this, is going to do something similar, but project the evil into the Kingdom?"

"Therefore eliminating the magic for good!" Tracy finished. "But there can't be a lot of supplies to work with in the Dark Lands, so the invention must be created here. And that means she has to have someone working with her. Sara can't collect essences and build machines at the same time!"

"And I don't think its Malovent or Lord Odotherex," Max said.

"I think we're getting somewhere, Max." Tracy squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel there was another piece to this puzzle. "Sara would need somewhere to work. Where?"

"It would have to be somewhere no one would think to check." Max frowned. "It won't be a well-known workshop or lab. But it won't be a low-class one, either."

"What's one workshop no one would not to go to?" Tracy asked.

"Gyro Gearloose!" Max shouted suddenly. "He's workshop has decent supplies, but it's not that well known in the Kingdom, and hardly anyone goes near it often!"

"Okay, okay, what are the chances the triplets stumbled up this girl and her machine?" Tracy asked seriously.

"They probably did." Max frowned with concern. "But did she restrain them, or silence them?"

"We're going to find out." Tracy narrowed her eyes and set off for Duckburg. "Max, I think we're onto the something. And I don't like it one bit."


	15. Redemption

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Theodore, Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian and Shawn  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**Redemption**

Duckburg was deserted. There wasn't a living soul in sight-only deformed demons and dark shadows. Tracy and Max flew above the crowd, the girl keeping a firm grip on her friend. "Shouldn't we think up a plan?" Max asked nervously as Gyro's workshop came into view.

"We have one. It's stopping Sara from making the machine," Tracy said, now firmly believing that their speculating had caused them to arrive at the true situation.

"That's not a plan. That's something slowly approaching the beginning stages of _making _a plan," Max said flatly.

"We don't have time for in-depth analysis, Max," Tracy snapped as she carefully flew down beside the workshop. "The magic that's left won't last long. If that machine is activated, then it will be wiped out completely."

Max nodded slowly. "Alright. Then let's do this."

"I'll go in and keep Sara busy. You come in after me and take apart that machine," Tracy instructed. The blonde crept over to the window and peered inside. She could see a little red-haired girl working diligently on some sort of generator. It was a silver cube with one, cylindrical slot at the top.

And it appeared to be nearly finished.

Knowing that she would need to work fast, Tracy hoisted the window open and jumped over the sill. "You know, you could have just knocked and I would have unlocked the door," the girl drawled. "Really, you worry me sometimes Leah."

_And that must be her partner. _Satisfied that the pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place, Tracy crossed her arms and winked at the elated triplets, who were bound in the corner of the room. "I think you've got the wrong person, squirt."

Sara sprang to her feet, whirling around and standing protectively in front of the machine. "Who the heck are you?"

"That's for me to know and you to figure out." Tracy created a sphere of magic, eliciting a shocked yelp from the little girl. "And that little contraption of yours is about to be blown to bits."

"I don't think so," Sara growled. She grabbed a slab of metal from the wooden workbench and thrust it up just as Tracy threw the magic blast. It fizzled into the metal, leaving behind a burn mark. The redhead chucked the wrench she had been holding and Tracy ducked.

"Okay, it's on now," Tracy growled and unleashed a magic blast. Sara gritted her teeth as her make-shift shield vibrated from impact.

_If Leah doesn't get here soon, the entire mission is going to go down in flames! Wait a second...flames!_

Sara quickly scanned the workshop and spotted a container of gas resting underneath a workbench. Sara grabbed a hammer from the toolbox resting by her feet and tossed it at the blonde. Tracy reached up to catch it and as she did so Sara tackled her to the ground. Tracy let out a grunt as she struck the wooden floor.

Sara grabbed the container of gas and rolled back into position, barely making it in time to stop a rapid magic blast from striking her machine. "I don't think you understand how desperate I am," Sara snapped.

The girl yanked off the cap and spilled a layer of gas around the machine. Tracy watched in horror as the redhead then removed a blowtorch from her pile of tools, waving it menacingly. "You wouldn't!"

"This machine is indestructible," Sara said threateningly. "You take one more step or make one more blast and this place is going to be set ablaze. I advise you leave. _Now._"

Tracy agonized over her options. The triplets were still tied up and Max hadn't made his entrance yet. _Where _is _he? If we don't do something soon this little brat is going to-_

_THUMP_

Sara watched in surprise as the blonde crumpled to the floor, knocked unconscious. Leah stood over her, the ray gun clutched in one hand and a crowbar in another. "Talk about perfect timing, huh?" Leah smiled.

The triplets had been watching everything with wide eyes. Louie could feel his bindings about to give. _Come on, come on! YES!_

He jumped to his feet, the ropes falling to the ground. He wrenched the tape off his beak and launched a flying tackle at the unsuspecting Leah. The girl struck the ground, her head whacking hard off of the floor. The ray gun flew into the air. Sara shrieked and lunged for it. Louie nudged the girl to make sure she was unconscious before twisting around to intercept Sara.

He was too late.

The redhead grinned savagely as she shoved the glass container of swirling black and purple essences into the cylindrical slot. The machine began to slowly rumble, shaking the workshop in the process. "Welcome to your doom," she whispered.

Knowing when a battle was lost, Louie quickly freed his brothers and they raced outside, bringing Tracy with them. Huey spotted Max sprawled underneath the window, also unconscious. "Geez," he rasped, this having been his first word for a while. "How many knock-outs are we going to have?"

Huey dragged Max away from the workshop, watching as it trembled violently. Sara and Leah raced out the door, bee-lining for the borderline. The triplets could only stare, as they refused to leave their friends behind (and also because they figured they had gotten into enough trouble for one day).

Gyro's workshop collapsed in a flurry of dust and wood. The generator was the only thing that survived unscratched, shaking violently and shooting black jets of light into the already-gloomy sky. Dewey let out a moan of fright. "I think the tables have been turned, guys. And not in our favour."

"What's going to happen to us?" Huey asked worriedly.

Louie swallowed thickly. "We take Tracy and Max back to the castle."

"And then...?" Huey prodded.

"Then we hope that Tracy wakes up and saves our butts. Because right now, I don't think Mickey is going to have the strength to fight anymore."

...

Serena's pendent was glowing.

The girl pressed a hand over the necklace and swallowed nervously. "Guys...I think it's time to head back into the Kingdom."

"Now?" Iago asked incredulously. "But we haven't found the jerks yet!"

"She's right," Ted confirmed. "I can feel the magic dissolving. Soon evil will take over the Kingdom. We need to head back. Malovent and Lord Odotherex will be there shortly."

Everyone was crushed. "Does that mean we're too late?" Aladdin asked.

"Not necessarily," Ted said carefully. "Where there is a will, there is a way. There is still time to prevent King Mickey from being overthrown."

"Then let's keep moving," Kyra said firmly. The group picked up the pace, basically sprinting for the border. Serena's heart was pounding and she tried desperately to sort her thoughts.

_The magic is gone._

_Mickey won't be able to defend the Kingdom._

_Malovent and Lord Odotherex are going to fight for dominance. From what I've heard, it seems like Odotherex will be the victor._

_How can I stop them? How can I bring the magic back? How long will my magic last? _

Serena forced herself to take a breath. She needed to calm down. They would get to the Kingdom (or what was left of it) and she would find Tracy. Together, they could do anything.

_I hope that 'anything' involves saving our home._

"_Serena..."_

The girl froze.

The voice had spoken again.

Shawn.

Trembling, Serena slowly turned around. A pair of familiar yellow eyes studied her from the thicket. Serena willed her legs to move, but they seemed to be glued to the ground. "Serena..." Shawn whispered as he emerged from the shadows. "It's been a while."

"Not long enough," Serena managed to say. She formed a sphere of magic, allowing the silver light to penetrate the darkness. "Take one more step and I assure you will regret it."

"I see a lot has happened since my banishment," Shawn mused. And then, to Serena's surprise, he sat on the dusty ground. "Oh, don't look so alarmed. I'm not an idiot. If I try to take you on I'll be dead in seconds. The Dark Lands isn't exactly good to its inhabitants."

"So I've noticed," Serena muttered, taking a good look at the boy. His cloak was ragged and ripped and the handkerchief that normally covered his face was gone. There were dark bags under his eyes and his face was pale. "You look like crap."

"So do you," Shawn retorted. "I don't think I've seen anyone so beat up before-besides myself, of course."

Serena glanced at her armour, which was indeed scratched, dirtied and bloodied. "It's been a rough few days," she snapped. "And since you're not going to kill me, I really must be going. I have more important things to do."

"Wait!"

The desperation in his voice made Serena halt. "It's...been a while since I've had human contact. And I have some things I'd like to say."

The raven-haired girl debated for a moment before reluctantly turning around to face him. _Sometimes I wish I had Tracy's ability to be a stone-cold ice queen. _"What? What is it?"

"Do you ever feel like you belong?"

Serena blinked. "Is this going to turn into some sort of psychological session?"

Shawn ignored the remark. "I've been here for so long with nothing but my thoughts...and I suddenly realized that I don't belong here, nor the Kingdom. I didn't even belong in our world. Do you ever feel lost like that? With the feeling that you exist but at the same time, don't?"

"Sometimes," Serena said slowly, willing to indulge him. "But I also feel that I belong in the Kingdom more so than I do in our world. I have a purpose. That's what keeps me going."

"A purpose..." Shawn sighed. "You know, that's what tried to give myself."

"And how was stealing the Sorcerer's Hat and taking over the Kingdom going to give you purpose?" Serena demanded.

"I wanted to prove that I could handle power. That I could be a ruler. That I could _do _something worthwhile in life instead of being a lackey." A grim smile crossed his face. "I think I'm living proof of the saying 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'."

"No kidding," Serena said flatly. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"No. During my time here I've come to regret many of the things I've done. I would like to bring closure on at least one of those many things." Shawn stared firmly at Serena. "I'm sorry. For everything."

Serena gaped. She had imaged her encounter with Shawn dozens of times, and all of them included someone getting severely injured.

None of them included Shawn apologizing.

_You can walk away right now. You can yell at him, tell him he doesn't deserve your forgiveness._

Serena found that she couldn't do that. Shawn's apology was sincere, and in many ways, she understood him. They had both been cons searching their way through life. It had just taken different events to make them see what was truly important.

"I forgive you," Serena said sincerely. "And I'll be sure to tell Tracy you apologized."

Shawn smiled faintly. "You know, you're pretty decent when you're not attempting to shoot an arrow in my eye."

Serena could not help but grin. "And you're pretty decent when you're not trying to stab me with a dagger."

They chuckled softly, and Shawn's gaze flickered above Serena's head. His eyes widened. "_Look out!"_

Serena whirled around to see a half a dozen shadows swarm towards her. She did not have time to fire up her magic and the shadows pinned her to the ground, making sure her hands were tightly behind her back.

"You've been a thorn in my master's side, Serena." Ecthros moved forwards. "I'm afraid he doesn't want to take any risks by keeping you alive." He snapped his fingers, and a shadow lunged, claws outstretched.

Serena squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the deadly blow.

It didn't come.

A moan of pain caused Serena to open her eyes. She stared in stunned disbelief as Shawn crumbled to the ground, clutching his stomach. Blood pooled onto the ground, surrounding his limp body. Ecthros scowled. "Foolish boy. You brought this upon yourself." But there was a glint of pity in his gaze.

A boiling rage consumed Serena. She let out a shriek of pure fury and her body responded by flaring with a brilliant white light. The shadows dissolved immediately, allowing Serena to spring to her feet and advance upon the shadow master.

Ecthros immediately knew that Serena was currently unleashing a power so great that he was no match for it. He disappeared in a flurry of smoke, weary of how his master would respond to another failure.

Serena took a ragged breath, attempting to calm down. Her body slowly absorbed the magic that alit her body. Trembling, Serena crouched down beside Shawn, who was on his last breaths. "You didn't have to do that," she said shakily.

"Is that all you can say?" Shawn joked weakly.

Serena managed a watery laugh. "Thank you, Shawn. You not only saved me, you saved the Kingdom."

"Something really bad is happening down there, huh?" Shawn muttered, his eyes fluttering close.

"Yeah, but I'm going to fix it. I'm going to avenge you, Shawn. I promise." She swallowed hard. "Hey, see what a simple apology can do? It can turn bitter enemies to friends."

"Friends, huh? Who'd have thought?" Shawn mumbled. "And I know you'll avenge me. You have a habit of getting in the bad guys' way."

Serena chuckled, eyes welling with tears. "Goodbye, Shawn."

"I wouldn't say goodbye," Shawn mused. "More like farewell for now."

His heart gave one last pulse before shutting down.

Serena pressed a hand over her mouth, stifling her sobs. Despite everything Shawn had done to her, his sacrifice changed her opinions drastically. He had truly understood what was important in the long run, and was man enough to apologize for his mistakes.

He had been redeemed.

And she would remember him. She would avenge him. It was the least she could.

Serena got to her feet, her face set. She had discovered what her powers could really do. Once she figured out how to unleash them to their full potential, she would be unstoppable.

It was time to save the Kingdom.


	16. Together Again

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Theodore, Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**Together Again**

_Bump. Bump. Bump._

The rhythm of the jolting eventually brought Tracy back to consciousness. The blonde blinked blearily at her surroundings. Everything seemed to be a mix of black and red-and she had a feeling it had nothing to do with disorientation.

"Alright," she grunted, half-heartedly slapping a pair of wings away. "You can stop pulling me now."

Louie grinned happily, letting go of Tracy's shoulders. "You're okay!"

"For now, yes." She got to her feet and scanned the area. It was scarily silent. "Okay. The lot of you are _not _going back to the castle."

"Wait, what?" Huey asked, eyes wide. "That's the safest place right now!"

"Actually, the RLS _Legacy _is the safest place right now," Tracy corrected. "The castle is about to be under attack by two freaks with a conquer-the-world type of complex. You don't want to be around when chaos breaks loose."

"What do you call this?" Huey demanded, gesturing to the depressing sight around them.

"The beginning," Tracy said honestly. She formed a ball of magic in the palm of her hands and was relieved to see that it was still at full power. The triplets stared in awe at the glittering silver orb. "This will protect you. Go and find a safe place."

Dewey carefully took the magical sphere. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," the blonde admitted. "But I'm going to think of something. If you see Mickey...tell him I'm okay."

"We will," Huey promised. He adjusted his grip on Max (who was still unconscious) and the triplets hurried off. Tracy stood in the middle of the dirt path for a moment. She cast a glance at the generator (which was the only thing she could think of to call the machine) and hummed in thought.

She was going to have do something to it. She didn't know what, but she had a feeling there was a way to turn off the generator. And it wasn't going to be something as simple as an off-switch.

"I guess it's time to find Serena," Tracy decided. With the magic consumed, the Dark Lands was free to enter.

Unfortunately, that meant Malovent and Lord Odotherex were free to enter the Kingdom as well.

Tracy flew into the air and took off. She could see demons and shadows emerging from the ground by the dozens. "Not so good."

She sighed and focussed her blue gaze on the Dark Lands, which stretched out as far as the eye could see. With no border surrounding it, the Dark Lands was visible to everyone.

And the blonde happened to notice a group traversing across the cracked plains.

"That was easy," Tracy sighed with relief. It was about time she got lucky.

She swooped down and landed right in front of the group, who jolted in surprise. Serena quickly got over her startled nerves and brightened. She raced forward and tackled Tracy in a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Ditto." Tracy smiled. She glanced over Serena's shoulder and arched an eyebrow. "I guess I missed as much here as you did in the Kingdom."

"You've no idea," Serena sighed. She let her friend go and gestured behind her. "It's a long story that I'll explain later. That's Kyra and Adrian." She pointed at the respective person and they waved. "This is Ted. He's very special."

Tracy eyed the armour. "I don't doubt it."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tracy Adams."

"Thanks. It's nice to meet you to." The blonde cast a glance at her friends. "And you're all alive to. Good."

"Thanks." Hercules rolled his eyes. "How bad is it?"

"Very bad," Tracy said. "All the magic is gone and the shadows and demons are going crazy."

"Any causalities?" Aladdin asked, dreading the answer.

Tracy hesitated. "Not technically."

"What do you mean by that?" Iago demanded, not liking the look on the girl's face.

"I'm sure you'll find out later." Tracy grabbed Serena's hand and lifted her into the air (much to the raven-haired girl's surprise). "Right now, we gotta go. Nice meeting you and nice seeing you."

"Wait a moment," Kyra snapped. "You can't just take her and leave! We need a plan!"

"I don't do plans," Tracy answered. "You wanna come to the Kingdom? Fine. It's not like Mickey can kick you back out. You wanna help? Great. Knock yourself out. I'm sure Malovent and Lord Odotherex are about to start their own little war any moment now."

Just as the words left her mouth, an explosion of red and purple came from the Kingdom. "Oh, look. They're already going at it. Which means it is time for _us _to get going."

And with that, Tracy disappeared in a flurry of gold and silver sparkles. The group the duo had left behind gaped in shock. "She's really irritating," Adrian finally managed to say. "But at the same time, she fascinates me."

"She's really good at doing that." Robin Hood shook his head. "Alright, troops. It's time for the battle we've all been waiting for."

Iago moaned. "Oh, goody."

...

"How'd you do that?" Serena exclaimed as she and Tracy landed in an abandoned village. "You teleported _and _flew!"

"The flying I've been doing for a while. The teleporting is new," Tracy admitted. "I just felt really anxious to get going and I guess the magic picked up on that."

"The only cool thing I've managed to do is light myself up with magic."

"...wow. Someone must have made you angry."

"Yeah." Serena swallowed thickly. "But we'll make small talk on our power discoveries later. Exchange small-version of important events that may be crucial to stopping this whole thing."

"There are two girls who've been using villain's essences to power a generator. It's by Gyro's workshop and it's the thing that's putting all the evil into the Kingdom. The villains are in a comatose state and will continue to be in one until we get the essences back-if we can."

"We will," Serena said firmly. "I know the two girls you're talking about. They both work for Malovent. One of them is really smart and the other is just really innocent-for the most part. Where are they?"

"They took off for the borderline once the machine activated. They're either meeting up with Malovent-" Here she gestured at the exploding red and purple lights in the distance. "-which doesn't seem very likely. So my guess is that they're hiding by the edge of the Dark Lands so that they don't have to encounter the wrath of Lord Odotherex right away if he happens to win."

"So we need to do two things," Serena decided. "We need to find a way to shut down the generator and defeat the two bad guys."

"You're the one who was in the Dark Lands with two natives." Tracy crossed her arms. "Did you dig up any dirt on them?"

"Only that Lord Odotherex is terrifying and no one wants to face him," Serena admitted. "Ted was tracking Lord Odotherex across various worlds before discovering he was here. Multiple...circumstances caused him to leave Odotherex alone for the time being."

Tracy rubbed her forehead. "Okay. Anything else?"

"The boys told me a story about the first time Odotherex came to the Kingdom," Serena said slowly. "He was so close to victory, but the magic in the Kingdom was stronger than he anticipated. He was forced to flee into the Dark Lands to plot and grow more powerful."

"And now the Kingdom is swallowed up by magic," Tracy said flatly. "Great. That just makes things easier for him."

"Maybe not." Serena narrowed her green eyes. "If we destroyed Malovent _and _brought the magic back to the Kingdom, then he'd be forced to flee like he did last time. I don't think we have the power to destroy him completely."

"But we have the power to make him retreat," Tracy finished. "Okay. Who does what?"

"I'll take Malovent," Serena decided. "You find a way to mess with the generator. And _don't _lose the essences."

"Easy task," Tracy said sarcastically. "You sure you want to be the one to take on Malovent? Lord Odotherex will probably intervene."

"I don't think so. Lord Odotherex waited until entering the Kingdom. Now I know why. He _knew _Malovent had sent Sara and Leah to build this generator. He was biding his time. He's going to think that me taking out Malovent is an opportunity to save his power for something greater."

_BOOM._

The two girls whirled around to see the castle crumbling down. Tracy gaped in horror. "Ludwig's in there!"

Serena suddenly disappeared in a flurry of golden sparkles. Tracy blinked for a moment before sighing with relief. "Yeah, that should get you there fast enough." She glanced in the direction of Duckburg and teleported.

She had a _lot _of work to do.


	17. Fight for the Kingdom: Part One

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Theodore, Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**Fight for the Kingdom: Part One**

_Finally._

After so many years of waiting, of plotting, the time had come. Lord Odotherex was in his future kingdom, a place that had once thrived with magic now pulsed with darkness. Ecthros' leagues of shadows swarmed everywhere. Victory was nearly his.

All he had to do was take down a few obstacles in his path. And one of them was currently in his presence, foolishly thinking that he had the power to take down the all-mighty Odotherex.

"Malovent, why fight me when you know you will fail?" Odotherex asked, easily deflecting a blast of dark magic.

Malovent growled, attempting to keep his composure. When you were battling the most feared being in the world, it proved difficult to keep your nerves hidden. He glared into the blood-red eyes of his rival for domination. "I am the one who planned for this," he hissed, gesturing to the black and red sky that was courtesy of Sara's generator. "And I will be the one to reap the rewards!"

"I must admit, your little lackeys have done the job better than I thought they would," Odotherex admitted, a smirk curling across his tanned features. "And only an idiot would _not _take advantage of this perfect opportunity."

"You count your chickens before they hatch, Lord Odotherex," Malovent snapped, sending another blast of black magic his way.

Odotherex held out a hand and the purple blast dissolved before it could hit its target. "Despite that, you still address me as a lord."

He cast glance down at the battle-worn grounds below. Most of the inhabitants had taken cover in neighbouring villages and lands, and they were all cowering, just as they would soon cower before him. "And soon, the people of this kingdom will as well."

And with that, he thrust his arms in the air and a giant explosion rocked the castle that was scene of their fight. A savage grin appeared as the very symbol of hope and purity crumbled down, raining plaster, marble and stone in all directions.

"Ah, yes. My time has indeed come."

...

Serena appeared in the heart of the castle just as the upper level gave way. With a startled cry she squeezed her eyes shut and teleported once more in a flurry of sparkles. She ended up in the basement of the castle, landing on the cold cement floor with a grunt.

_Creeaakk!_

Serena snapped her head up to see the ceiling supports dislodged and come crashing down. Someone grabbed hold of her arm and yanked her out of the way just in time. Panting, Serena tilted her head and grinned in relief upon seeing Professor Ludwig von Drake unharmed. "Here I was coming to save you and you saved me."

"It vas not'ing." Ludwig waved his wing dismissively. "Dat vas a neat trick ya did just now."

"The teleporting? Yeah, it's new." Serena cast a wary glance at the trembling ceiling. "We need to get out of here before the castle collapses down on us. Is there anyone else here?"

"Nein. Minnie, Mickey and Daisy vent to Cinderella's castle for an emergency meeting," Ludwig answered.

Another explosion rocked the castle, causing debris to rain down on them. "Okay, we really need to get out of here." Serena reached out for Ludwig's wing, only for him to pull it back.

"Ve can't leave!" he protested. "I haven't finished making de device ta stop all dis chaos!"

He held out a small vacuum-like device, made from scraps of metal and wire. "It doesn't have enough power to suck de evil out of de whole Kingdom," Ludwig explained, a bit flustered.

Serena studied the device for a moment before grinning. "You know what, Professor? This is just the perfect size." She grabbed hold of Ludwig and teleported just as the castle crashed down.

They reappeared outside, where they got a clear view of Malovent and Odotherex duelling it out. "Vhat do ya mean, it's de perfect size?" Ludwig asked, confused. Serena pressed a finger to her lips and cast a glance at the two villains. They hadn't been noticed yet.

"I don't have time to explain," she whispered. "But I promise, you and everyone else will get an explanation later." She held out her hands and Ludwig hesitantly placed the device in them. "Get somewhere safe-or as safe as you can get-and wait out the storm."

"I hope ya know vhat ya are doing," Ludwig said.

"Sort of," Serena admitted with a sheepish grin.

Ludwig gave the girl a quick embrace before slipping away. Serena peered into the dark sky and was unnerved to see that Malovent wasn't looking too good. "I think it's time for the both of you to take a break," she muttered and sent a magic blast sailing into the air.

The silver orb struck right in between the two villains, the backlash sending them both spiralling to the ground and away from each other. Serena teleported to Gyro's workshop and found Tracy, who was staring, puzzled, at the generator. "You better not have been staring at that thing this whole time."

"It's only been five minutes," Tracy retorted, tearing her blue gaze away from the pulsing machine. "And what are you doing here? You couldn't have beaten Malovent already."

"I wish." Serena snorted. "But no. I rescued Ludwig and he said that he had enough time to make this." The raven-haired girl held out the vacuum-like device. "It was supposed to suck the evil out of the Kingdom but it doesn't have enough power."

"And you're telling me this because...?"

Serena shot her friend a glare. "Use this to safely remove the essences from the generator, stupid."

Tracy thrust her arms in the air. "Oh, like I was supposed to know that's where you were taking the conversation." She took the device from Serena. "And _how _am I supposed to get to the essences to begin with? The thing doesn't come off!" To prove this she grabbed hold of the silver container full off essences and gave a pull.

It didn't budge an inch.

"Hey, that's your job." Serena shrugged. "I have to go fight Malovent before Odotherex crushes him into dust."

Tracy scowled as her best friend disappeared in a flurry of sparkles. "Oh, sure. Give yourself the easy job."

...

Serena appeared back at the ruins of the castle to find everything eerily quiet. She scanned the landscape nervously, but all she could hear were the distant screams of the poor Kingdom inhabitants. As much as she wanted to rush over and help, she knew that there was a bigger problem to deal with and could only hope that the people of the Kingdom could hold off for a while.

"Maybe they finished each other off," Serena muttered, twisting her heel to turn around.

When she did, it was to run smack into Malovent.

"I'm afraid not, my dear." Malovent sneered, smirking wickedly down at her. "I am, however, going to finish _you _off."

Serena managed to glare up at him without trembling. "I don't think so."

She slammed her hands into his chest and they pulsed a brilliant silver. Malovent cried out in shock as he sailed backwards, crashing into the thicket that surrounded the ruined castle. "_You little brat!_" He roared, flying high into the air and his hands glowing a dark purple. "How dare you treat your future ruler this way!"

"Not if I can help it!" Serena hollered.

The ground started shaking violently and a great wind blew up, bending the trees so hard the trunks snapped. Serena bit her lip and managed to hover into the air to avoid being thrown to the ground.

_Yeah, Malovent may not be as powerful as Odotherex, but compared to me, he _is _all-powerful. _

Malovent growled softly when the girl floated off the ground to meet him in the air. It seemed that his demons would be of no help in this battle, but it was no matter. If he could not defeat a little girl (one with magical powers, but still a little girl) then he truly had no right to rule.

He snapped his fingers and a whirlwind started around Serena, thrashing her like a rag doll. The girl bit back a curse and teleported herself out of the heart of the whirlwind. "You're going to have to do better than that," she said, a bit breathlessly. She imagined a bolt of magic shooting down on Malovent like lightning and concentrated. It worked, and a silver blast struck down from the sky and sent Malovent sailing to the ground.

Malovent was not as considerate with his language. With an oath he climbed from the ground and made the earthquake cease. He repeated the trick Serena had used on him and the girl fell to the ground after a nasty shock of black magic.

"You are tougher than you look," Malovent said coldly, watching with burning eyes as the raven-haired girl got shakily to her feet. "It's a rather admirable effort of you to take me on by yourself but also a stupid one. What makes you think you can defeat me?"

"I'm not doing bad so far," Serena returned. "And what makes _you _think you can defeat _me_?"

She fired up the magic and slammed it into Malovent, who spiralled into the air and landed in the lake (once crystal blue and now a murky black) surrounding the castle. He surfaced seconds later, spitting and his eyes glowing a bright red.

"This is going to take a while," Serena muttered nervously.

_Here's hoping Tracy figures things out before something really bad happens to anyone in the Kingdom-especially if that anyone is me._

...

Odotherex watched, hidden in the shadows, as Serena Lockhart battled with the idiot who believed the Kingdom would soon be his.

"Are you going to interfere, Lord Odotherex?"

Odotherex sent Ecthros a scowl. He was still not too pleased with the shadow master for failing to terminate Serena, but it was still not too late. "No, Ecthros. If that foolish girl wants to get herself killed then who am I to stop her? Malovent may be an idiot, but even _he _can destroy a child."

Ecthros caught the hidden meaning and swallowed thickly. "I understand, sir."

"And this is turning out rather well for me," Odotherex continued, casting a dismissive glance at the battling duo. "While she keeps that idiot out of my way, we can continue to deal with more pressing matters. Ecthros, where has King Mickey gone?"

"To the castle of Princess Cinderella and Prince Charming," Ecthros answered promptly, repeating the information his shadows had reported to him only moments before. "He is there along with all of the royals in the Kingdom."

A wicked smirk crossed Odotherex's face. "Ah, how idiotic of them to all gather in one place while I am here."

"Are you...are you going to assassinate them all?" Ecthros asked, hoping that the answer would be different than the one he was expecting.

"No, not all. Only the one we've always planned. It will be good to see their spirits shatter once their beloved King Mickey is dead. But that is a rather large group, and while I certainly have the power to destroy them all, I'd rather not waste it on those peasants. King Mickey is the prize here."

"I can hold them back," Ecthros offered.

Odotherex let out a bitter laugh. "You, Ecthros? You can hardly take care of one little girl. I believe that this is the moment for some of my...otherworldly allies to make an appearance. I certainly have the power to summon them here, after all."

Odotherex and Ecthros vanished into thin air, on route to Cinderella's castle. And if Odotherex had bothered to turn his head, he would have seen that Serena was faring rather well. But even if he had, it wouldn't have bothered him. With both the Chosen Ones occupied with their separate missions, there would be no one to stop from eliminating the beloved king of the Kingdom.

Then the Kingdom would _finally _be his.


	18. Fight for the Kingdom: Part Two

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Theodore, Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**Fight for the Kingdom: Part Two**

Mickey, for the first time in his reign as king, was at a loss of what to do. And, apparently, so were all the other royals of the Kingdom.

They were all crowded in Cinderella's grand ballroom with Mickey, Cinderella and Charming at the front of the room. The royal guards had boarded up the floor-to-ceiling windows for security, although Mickey had little faith that would do much to stop the blood-thirsty crowd rampaging outside the castle walls.

"Before anything else, I want to hear status reports," Mickey said firmly, his voice carrying to the very back of the crowd. "General Shang?"

The general stepped forward with Mulan by his side. Like many others in the room, they were covered in dirt and dried blood. "There are no deaths," Shang informed the king, "but I do not know how long that will last."

"Our soldiers are being beaten back as we speak," Mulan added, her voice weary. "Yao, Chien Po and Ling are taking over the general position while we are here. They have been ordered to report to you immediately if something dire happens."

Mickey gave a curt nod. "Thank you. King Arthur?"

The child stepped forward, his hands gripping his Excalibur tightly and Archimedes sitting on his shoulder. It was obvious that the owl had accompanied the boy as a source of comfort, as the poor child looked scared out of his wits. His sword and hands were covered in black blood and there was a nasty scratch mark on the side of his face.

Mickey felt his heart ache. He knew that this ordeal would be harder on the children, especially the children who were running their own lands due to early royal status being bestowed upon them. "Arthur, how are things in your land?" Mickey asked softly.

Arthur swallowed hard, finding himself unable to speak. Archimedes leaned towards his ear, hooting softly. "Come now, boy. Everything is alright now. Tell the king what he wants to know."

The boy took a shuddering breath. "N-no deaths," he managed to get out. "M-Merlin still has his m-magic. N-not very strong, doesn't do much good. E-everyone has taken refuge in m-my castle. D-don't know how much longer we can...can...hold them back." His breath hitched and a comforting hand was placed on his shoulder. Aurora rubbed his back soothingly, her own eyes welling as she watched the innocent child desperately try to keep control.

"Your Majesty, it is like this for all of us," she said softly. "There are no deaths but it is becoming near impossible to keep our subjects safe."

"We need a plan," Snow White agreed, her melodic voice having a slight crack to it. "Or else we won't make it through this terrible ordeal."

Mickey rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Cinderella, Charming, any ideas?"

Cinderella gave a helpless shrug. "The only way to fix this mess is to fix the barrier."

"And the only way to do that is to restore balance to the Kingdom," Charming added. "And exactly how are we supposed to do that?"

"You can't."

Everyone in the room froze. A sudden chill ran down their spines as a figure stepped out from the shadows, his arms crossed serenely behind his back. Red eyes glowered at the crowd. "To continue to fight would be pointless. Save yourself the pain and surrender now."

Mickey's eyes flashed. "Never," he growled.

Odotherex's eyes narrowed. "Suit yourself. If it is a battle you want, it is a battle you will get."

He threw his arms to the side and the room began to crackle with black magic. Arthur, Melody and Eilonwy were immediately hustled into the middle of the royal crowd.

With each flash of black light a strange figure would line up beside Odotherex. Finally, it stopped, and the crowd was horrified to see a collection of odd characters staring at them with sinister and cruel smiles.

"You are not the only world to exist," Odotherex said softly. "And as you will soon find out, these fine people will put your so called 'villains' to shame."

In a blink Odotherex was rocketing across the room towards Mickey, his hands wrapping around his neck and zapping them both to another location within the castle. The group of strangers immediately attacked, gleeful war cries echoing through the ballroom.

Mulan and Shang hastily stepped backwards as a young man with black hair and reptilian-like eyes advanced upon them. "Who are you?" Shang demanded, his hand reaching for his sword.

The man grinned wickedly. "Does the name Chase not ring a bell? No, why would it. You're completely in the dark when it comes to me and _my _world." Chase Young laughed evilly and transformed into his lizard form, yellows eyes glinting menacingly.

Shang stared, stunned. The creature shot towards him and Mulan pulled her husband out of the way. "What is going on around here?" she whispered, pulling out her own sword and swiping it at Chase. The sword cut the side of his hand, but other than causing a hiss of pain it didn't do much at all. "I think we're in trouble."

"A peacock!" Naveen cried, holding Tiana behind him with one hand as the other used his sword to fight back a bird. "I'm fighting a peacock!"

"Not just a peacock, you insolent scum! I am the greatest Kung Fu master Lord Shen!" Shen snarled, twisting on his heel and shooting blades from his robes. Naveen hastily pulled Tiana to the tiled floor and the blades sailed over their hands, imbedding into the wall opposite.

"This is the craziest thing I've ever seen," Tiana breathed.

Arthur was jostled through the crowd, eventually pushed to the outskirts. He bumped into something and he hastily backed away so he could get a look of who he crashed into.

He quickly wished he hadn't.

A tall man with a white face, no nose and red eyes sneered down at him. He raised his wand and shouted, "_Avada Kedavra_!"

Panicked, Arthur thrust his sword up to protect him from the oncoming green light. The spell bounced off the magic sword (as magical items could not be affected by other magical items, including spells, in the Disney World) and crashed into the wall.

Outraged, the wizard moved forward. "You dare try to escape death at the hands of Lord Voldemort?" he snarled before shouting the spell again.

As Arthur tried desperately to keep himself alive (and trying not to worry too much about where Archimedes had gone) Belle and Adam were having their own trouble with what they quickly identified as a sociopath with a clown appearance.

"Don't go running from little old me!" the man cackled, relentlessly throwing razor-sharp playing cards. "The Joker just wants to have a bit of fun!"

Belle yelped as a card caught the hem of her dress, pinning her to the floor. Adam gave the hem a yank and the material split, freeing Belle but not before the maniac descended upon them, the tip of a card ready for a deadly aim.

"_ENOUGH!"_

The cry was enough to stop the fighting, causing everyone to turn to the door in surprise. Robin Hood, Hercules, Aladdin, Iago, Kyra, Adrian and Ted stood framed in the entrance. It was Ted who had shouted, and he stepped forward.

"You think Odotherex is the only one able to conjure beings from other worlds?" Ted demanded, his green/brown eyes narrowed. "You are wrong. And I believe there are some people who will be able to handle you in a manner better than us."

He thrust his sword into the air, and a brilliant flash of light later, there were more strangers summoned to the battle-wrecked castle. "There is no one better to handle a villain than the archenemy of said villain," Ted said firmly.

And so the four newcomers launched into battle with the other four villains. Aladdin, Robin Hood and Hercules ran to their respective wives and gathered them in their arms. Kyra and Adrian stood on the sidelines, watching the battle warily, uncertain of whom would be the victor.

"Hey," Kyra asked suddenly, her brow furrowed. "Where's King Mickey?"

...

As the battle raged downstairs, Mickey was locked in his own. Odotherex fired off blasts of black magic and Mickey ducked and jumped to avoid them.

"What do you want with my Kingdom?" Mickey demanded. "Why do you want it so badly that you waited all these years in the Dark Lands for your moment? You were not bound to stay there as the others were."

Odotherex easily deflected Mickey's weak magic blast. "I don't think I need to tell you how powerful your world is. Your population alone far exceeds any other. The amount of magic you once held control over was in immeasurable amounts. Once you are dead, the successor will have control over it-whether it is pure or dark makes no difference."

A blast of dark magic sent Mickey spiralling to the floor. "You will not get my magic so easily," he wheezed. "It has been set in stone that if something happens to me one of the other royal families will take my place."

"Ah, but it has not been said _which _couple." Odotherex smirked knowingly. "And as much as you wish different, your subjects can still be consumed by the desire for power. I will not have to do a thing-the royals will each think they are the best fit to be your successor. Tensions will form, civil wars will rage. And despite what you might think, my goal is not purely to take over your world."

Odotherex was advancing upon him, but Mickey was too weak to move. "Then what is your main goal?" Mickey asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"With so much death and destruction taking hold of this once pure and innocent land, I will be able to swoop in a jumpstart an apocalypse." Odotherex's eyes gleamed at the very idea. "And do you know what that apocalypse will do? It will open those pearly gates and finally, _finally _I can exact the revenge I have so longed for."

"The path that leads to revenge leads only to destruction," Mickey croaked, his eyes moving to stare coldly at the man towering over him.

"Only if you are foolish enough to allow it to happen," Odotherex said dismissively. "And now, King Mickey, here ends your reign as-"

"No."

Odotherex stiffened, the familiar voice causing his blood to boil. Very slowly, he turned his head to see his own archenemy standing at the end of the corridor, his Blade of Forbidden Light clutched in his grasp. "Theodore," he growled through clenched teeth. "It's been far too long."

"Not long enough," Ted returned. "Back away from the king."

Odotherex locked eyes with Ted and, with deliberate slowness, lowered his finger towards Mickey's chest. "I feel I should inform you that no matter what, the great King Mickey _will _die by my hand."

Mickey could feel his entire body throb with pain. His magic was useless now, with all the dark magic swallowing it up. He could only flicker his eyes towards the stranger and attempt to give a weak, grateful smile. "I appreciate you coming to my rescue," he said hoarsely. "But he is right."

Ted kept his face calm, knowing that Mickey spoke the truth. Odotherex could kill Mickey at any moment and was simply taunting him. Ted narrowed his eyes. All he had to do was get Odotherex away from Mickey. The movement would need to be quick, before Odotherex had time to blink.

_Oh Blade of Forbidden Light, I call upon the soul of Miyamoto Musashi to grant me the power of Quick-Flash_.

His sword vibrated under his hands and Ted could feel his adrenaline accelerate. In one swift movement he was across the corridor and slamming Odotherex against the wall before either could blink.

Odotherex snarled and got to his feet. "That blasted sword! Ecthros! Take care of this matter for me! I've no time to deal with any more obstacles."

Ecthros materialized out of the shadows. "Yes, my Lord." He snapped his fingers and the shadows swarmed from all corners, descending upon Ted, who had an arm wrapped tightly around the limp Mickey.

But with the power of the Blade Ted was able to use Quick-Flash to side-step shadows and eliminate them with his own magic.

"Ecthros, you useless fool!" Odotherex bellowed when it became clear that shadows would not be enough. "I've had enough of this!"

He slammed his hands to the ground, causing the floor to dissolve and sending them crashing below. Ted lost his grip on Mickey and Odotherex seized him, vanishing for brief instant before appearing at the front of the room. He was further enraged to see that his other-worldly allies were being detained from their initial mission due to the allies of his archenemy.

"_Enough!_" he screamed, causing everyone in the room to go silent at his threatening tone. "There will be no more obstacles, no more delays! This ends-!"

But he was cut off by yet another blinding flash of light. His head snapped instantly towards Ted, his hands tightening around Mickey's neck, but the flash had not come from the Knight of Renaissance Light.

It had come from the teenaged blonde that was now standing in the middle of the room, mouth agape.

**Special appearances:**

**Harry Potter and Voldemort belong to J.K Rowling.  
>The Joker and Batman belongs to D.C. Comics.<br>Chase Young and Omi (Xiaolin Showdown) belongs to Warner Brothers.  
>Lord Shen and Po (Kung Fu Panda) belongs to Dreamworks.<strong>


	19. At Death's Door

**I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena. **

**Knight of Renaissance Light: **Theodore, Ecthros and Lord Odotherex  
><strong>MysteryGirl: <strong>Malovent, Kyra, Adrian  
><strong>Pres1111:<strong> Leah  
><strong>Nightmaster000: <strong>Sara

**At Death's Door**

Tracy Adams did not follow instructions very well.

She had been that way her entire life. If she was told to do something she would do it only if it was in her best interests. She rarely followed orders and it didn't matter who was giving them-not even Serena could order her around.

So when she heard the ruckus coming from the general direction of Cinderella's castle, she was intrigued. Despite the fact Serena had ordered her to stay by the generator and find a way to cut off the supply of evil energy Tracy decided that it would be in her best interests to see what was going on.

And it was a good thing she did.

The second she appeared in the grand ballroom she was greeted by a horrifying sight. Lord Odotherex had Mickey in a chokehold and there were a collection of characters that were _not _Disney in any shape or form.

A stunned silence descended upon the room, everyone staring at the new arrival. Tracy stared back with her mouth agape, trying to comprehend the fact that _Harry Potter _had Voldemort cornered with their wands inches away from each other. Not to mention the fact that the murderous Joker was-

Oh. Murderous. A level of evil that the Disney Kingdom would not be able to comprehend, an evil that only Lord Odotherex himself embraced and surpassed-and was very close to committing an act of murder right in the middle of Cinderella's ballroom.

"I think it's time we all took a _time out!_"

Tracy flung her hands to her sides as she shrieked the last part, frustration consuming her as she realized that Lord Odotherex had powers that were beyond hers. A blinding white light consumed the vast room, engulfing everyone. Lord Odotherex shut his eyes for the briefest of moments to guard his vision from the dazzling light and when he opened them he found himself and his minion the sole occupants of the marble ballroom.

With one move the child had used her power to banish his other-worldly minions, their archenemies and bring herself and her allies to safety.

"Well," Lord Odotherex said softly. "It seems that I've underestimated the abilities of those two girls."

"What is your plan?" Ecthros asked, a bit hesitantly.

"Brute force has not worked in this particular endeavor, although I cannot say I am surprised. In cases of hostile takeovers it is best to use brains over brawn." Lord Odotherex tapped his fingers together and swept his gaze around the abandoned ballroom. "It seems that this castle will be ours, Ecthros. Plenty of space for hostages."

"Hostages?" Ecthros echoed, dread welling up in his chest. "Who?"

"Children, of course. Most people hardly bat an eye when it comes to adults being in danger. But throw children in the throngs of war…and they will race to save them before the lingering embers of innocence are stamped out."

"So to get the Magic Bearers to surrender, threaten the children," Ecthros finished, hands trembling.

"And, if need be, make an example of one." Lord Odotherex gave a slow, deadly smile. "Rally up the most prominent and important children in the Kingdom, Ecthros. Surely you can accomplish this task without failure."

With a heavy heart, Ecthros gave a dutiful nod and left. Though he would never admit it, he hoped that Serena or Tracy would interfere before it was too late.

The death of a child by means other than the tool of other-worldly storytelling would cause an unrepairable seam in the threads that made up the Disney Kingdom.

…

Head aching, Tracy mustered up enough energy to sit up. Panting heavily the blonde scanned the clusters of people that were scattered about the thick forest she had transported them to. "Is everyone still alive?"

"Barely," Iago groaned, gingerly shaking out his feathers from his perch on Aladdin's shoulder.

"Aladdin, you're okay!" Jasmine breathed, happy tears welling in her eyes as she embraced her husband.

"I'm fine," Aladdin assured her, squeezing her shoulders. "How are things in Agrabah?"

"Everything was in stable condition when we left, but now I just don't know," Jasmine whispered, leaning her head against Aladdin's chest and running her fingers idly through Iago's red feathers.

The utter despair in her voice caused Tracy's stomach to tighten. She had been given the gift of magic to save the Kingdom from its downfall and she had hardly done anything to stop the chaos. Who knew how many people were hurting? Who knew how long they had before everything crumbled?

Tracy slumped against the ground, her forehead resting against the cool dirt. "Some hero I'm turning out to be."

"Stop that."

Realizing that she had spoken her thought aloud, Tracy reluctantly lifted her head, her blonde hair dangling in her dirt-covered face. Mickey, who was pale but otherwise physically fine, stared sternly at her. "Don't put yourself down. If it's anyone who's failed, it's me."

"No one's failed," Adrian spoke up, ignoring the curious glance Mickey and Minnie sent his way. "Lord Odotherex is an evil that the Kingdom has never seen before. He caught you at a time when you were unprepared and at your weakest."

"He is right." Ted nodded. "Everyone has done a phenomenal job defending the Kingdom. You are doing the very thing Lord Odotherex does not want-working together. Do not let Odotherex make cracks in your bonds with each other. If you allow him to drive wedges he _will _win."

"I've been meaning to ask, who _are _you?" Minnie questioned, her arm wrapped tightly around Mickey's.

"It is a story we do not have time for. Just know that I am here to help to the best of my abilities." Ted bowed. "Your Highnesses."

"_Grrrrrr!"_

A demon jumped from the trees and launched itself at Tracy. Without getting up from the ground Tracy raised a hand and shot a blast at the demon, disintegrating it. "I hate those things," she grumbled. Her gaze drifted to three prone figures lying near the trees. "In case you were wondering, they're not dead. Lady Tremaine, Drizella and-the cat?! She zapped the cat?!"

Cinderella gave a tired nod. "I found them in the cellar like that. Anastasia had left to check on the baker in the village and I haven't seen her since. But are they alright?"

"They're fine. Just…in a comatose state." Tracy finally climbed to her feet and brushed herself off. "Once they get their essences in them they'll be fine."

"How do we do that?" Jasmine questioned, thinking of Agrabah's most notorious villain slouched in her guest chambers.

"I need to get them out of the generator. But first I need to find a way to break the glass tube, which has been labelled unbreakable. All I need to do is find-" Her blue eyes suddenly widened in realization. "I think I got it!"

"Got what?" Daisy asked, baffled.

"The answer! It's diamonds!"

"Diamonds?" Kyra echoed, confused. "For what?"

"I don't have time to explain." Tracy hurriedly got to her feet and turned to Snow White. "Is the diamond mine anywhere near here?"

Surprised, Snow White pointed down the dirt pathway. "It's just at the end of the pathway. The dwarves are hiding out there. I do hope they're alright. I haven't gotten the chance to check on them."

"I'm sure they're fine. And this is perfect." Tracy created multiple spheres of magic and levitated them to each person. "Keep these with you. Ted, watch over them. Kyra and Adrian, I need you to come with me."

"Why us?" Kyra asked.

"I have a feeling that the little twerps who are responsible for the generator are not as far as I once thought. When I start tampering with the machine I need you to hold them back."

"I don't know," Kyra hesitated. "I don't think fighting is the best thing for me to do right now."

"Why? Is your little friend gaining control?" Iago asked bitingly. Aladdin flicked his beak in warning. "What?"

"No!" Kyra snapped, annoyed. "It's just that I've never felt so much evil energy before, and I've been in the Dark Lands for _ages. _The last thing I need is to be agitated-the berries can only do so much."

"You can worry about Kendra later." Adrian gently tugged on Kyra's hand. "Right now we need to do our part in helping the Kingdom."

"Of course." Kyra nodded, trying to push her anxiety away. "Lead the way, Tracy."

The blonde saluted her friends. "Keep the faith and don't die. This will all be over soon."

_I hope._

She then turned on her heel and ventured deeper into the forest with Kyra and Adrian following behind her, leaving her friends watching after them with the silver spheres she had given them glowing brightly.

"Good luck," Mickey whispered. "Come, gang. We need to keep moving."

Tracy cast a glance over her shoulder and then at the dark sky. _Please…please let this work. If it doesn't, then I'm out of ideas. _

And the Kingdom they once knew would never be restored to its former glory.


End file.
